Shadows of Seattle - Part II - Decisions
by Serendipity Cullen
Summary: AU. Sequel to Shadows of Seattle - Part I - Discovery. April Kepner has finally discovered what Jackson is; a vampire. How will she handle this revelation? Will fear keep her from the one she loves or does love truly conquer all?
1. Chapter 1 - The Truth Will Set You Free

Chapter 1 - The Truth Will Set You Free

There is a time for everything.

A time to be happy, and a time to be sad. A time to have fun, and a time to be serious. A time to work, and a time to play.

A time to live, and a time to die.

Everyone had a time to die; at least, they were supposed to.

Jackson Avery, however, did not have a time to die. He was an immortal; a vampire. He would live forever it seemed.

Those thoughts flashed through April Kepner's mind after he said the words that nearly shook her entire belief system. _I'm a vampire_ Jackson confirmed the fear she had spent the past twenty-four hours trying to process. Jackson was a vampire. Jackson bit people, drank blood, and did whatever else it was that vampires did. April wasn't very educated on the matter of vampires; she just knew that she had a wave of fear wash from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. Knowing that Jackson survived by killing people was enough to send her running. Her mind flashed with images of bats, red eyes, sharp teeth, and drained bodies.

April turned, running from the residents' lounge with every bit of strength that she possessed. It was late Sunday night, and the hall was clear. All of the patients were in bed for the night, the doctors were at home, and the nurses were charting in the break room. All she had to do was make it to the elevator, and she would be safe.

April was twenty yards from the elevator when she heard a gush of wind over her head; she skidded to a stop when Jackson appeared in front of her. April's mouth dropped as she looked over her shoulder to the lounge door that was at least fifty yards away from her. "H-How did you do that?!" she demanded, looking at Jackson before looking over her shoulder again.

Jackson quirked his head slightly at her as his eyebrows lifted expectantly. "Because of what I am," he said simply. He didn't feel comfortable speaking the word 'vampire' to her again.

April took a few steps back. "This is real," she whispered to herself, turning fearful eyes to Jackson.

"April," Jackson pleaded. "You have to listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you."

"How can I be sure of that?!" April exclaimed, inching around Jackson slowly, but making sure to give him a wide berth.

Jackson visibly winced, the words stinging him to his core. "I would have already done it," he said quietly, flinching as April gasped. "I will explain everything to you, but you have to trust me. You _have_ too."

April's eyes widened. He expected her to trust him?! How could she possibly trust him?! He never told her what he was! He only confessed it now because she had already found out! Jackson never volunteered the information! "I-If you're not going to h-hurt me, th-then just leave me alone." She continued to move around him until she had a clear shot to the elevator. "I need time!" she exclaimed when Jackson reached for her.

Jackson closed his eyes as April ran towards the elevator, pressing the button repeatedly.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, April burst inside, pushing the button for the first floor urgently. "Come on, come on," she muttered, as the doors slowly closed. Seconds later April screamed as the entire elevator rocked.

"You have to listen to me," Jackson pleaded as he pulled the emergency stop button.

April's hand flew to her mouth as she watched Jackson reach up easily and crush the security camera in his hand. He literally crushed it into pieces! "How did you do that?!"

Jackson gave her a patient half-smile. "There is so much about me that you don't know; I want you to know everything about me, April."

April's brows knit together. "You didn't even tell me!" she accused, throwing a finger at him. "You weren't honest with me at all!"

"I know," Jackson replied quietly. "I didn't want...well, I didn't want you to be afraid of me." His eyes shifted over her, noting that she was pressed into the back corner of the elevator, and her knuckles were white because she was gripping the wall of the elevator that tightly. "I will not hurt you, April, I swear! I will never hurt you."

"Th-Then why are you here?" April asked softly, trembling slightly.

Jackson backed away from her, giving her more space. "I know you're shocked right now..and scared, but I need you to listen to me," he pleaded. "You can hate me, you can decide you never want to see me again, but you have to listen to me."

April's bottom lip trembled as she looked at him; despite what she'd just learned..she still cared for Jackson. "What is it?" she whispered.

Jackson relaxed fractionally. "Do not tell anyone what you know, April."

"How can you ask me that?" April gasped.

"You knowing this is dangerous for everyone-"

"It's dangerous for _you_," April shot back. She wasn't a total idiot; she knew that people would try to kill Jackson once they found out he was a vampire.

Jackson resisted the urge to laugh. "I can handle a human," he replied. "I can handle an army of humans." He watched her pale.

April's eyes shifted to the floor, then back to him. "Then how is this..."

"When someone cries vampire," Jackson explained, "then everyone that has a grievance against someone claims that person is a vampire. Mass hysteria ensues, and that often innocent person is hunted down and slaughtered. Innocent. People. Die," he stressed. "Please. Please, April. Do not tell anyone." In the sixty years since his change, Jackson had witnessed numerous people die because they were accused of being a vampire. It was just like the Salem Witch Trials, but in modern times and with vampires.

"But you kill-"

"I don't kill people," Jackson cut her off.

A small part of April felt a tiny bit better. "Then how do you live?" she whispered.

"I will tell you all of that when you're ready," Jackson replied softly.

April nodded slowly after several seconds passed. "I won't tell anyone," she whispered.

"Thank you," Jackson replied, then released the elevator. As soon as the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, April ran from it like a horse released from the shoot. Jackson made a move to follow her, but was thrown against the back wall of the elevator by a massive force. "Mother," he growled as Catherine pinned him to the wall and hit the button for the fourth floor. It was obvious his mother had been listening to everything.

"Don't," Catherine ordered, holding her son against the wall until the doors slid closed.

"I have to talk to her!" Jackson struggled against her.

"You're not going anywhere," Catherine said firmly. "I'm older than you, therefore I'm stronger than you."

Jackson struggled and fought against her, but it was no use. Catherine finally released him as the elevator moved past the second floor. "Why did you do that?!" he spat, glaring at her with murder in his eyes.

"She needs time," Catherine replied gently. "You have to give her time, Jackson. She'll never come around if you don't."

Jackson glared over to his mother. "If it wasn't for you, I would never have hurt her!"

Catherine's eyes hardened. "If it wasn't for me, you would never have met her," she countered.

Jackson straightened, the thought tumbling around his head. He tried to deny it, but..his mother was right. If she had never turned him, Jackson would probably be dead right now. He never would have laid eyes on the precious April. "Do you think she'll come around?" he asked quietly after the elevator doors opened and Catherine directed him back to the residents' lounge to get his things.

"I think she will," Catherine nodded as she followed behind her son. She sensed that Jackson was calmer, but she wasn't positive that he wouldn't try to pursue the Kepner girl again. "If you didn't mean anything to her, she wouldn't be this upset."

The thought gave Jackson hope. Maybe April did love him, and that's why she was so upset. "So what do I do?" he asked as he plucked the obituary from his pocket and stuffed it into his duffel bag. "Leave her alone?"

"Yes," Catherine nodded. "Once she's processed it and decided if she can handle it, she'll come back to you."

Jackson nodded sadly as an idea crossed his mind. What if April couldn't deal with it? What would become of him then? He wasn't sure if he could live the next hundred years or so without his mate. "Why are you even here?" he grumbled as Catherine stood watch over him. "I'm not going to chase her."

"I know you're not," Catherine stated matter of factly. "You're coming with me; we have to talk to Nathanial about all of this."

"You called him?" Jackson frowned. Great, one more person to meddle in his affairs.

"Of course," Catherine replied. "He's part of us. We're family."

Nathanial was already at the Avery house by the time Catherine and Jackson pulled into the driveway. "April knows?" Nathanial questioned as they climbed from their separate cars.

Jackson smirked slightly, not used to Nathanial being so...well, rude. "No hello's?" he asked. "No how are you's?"

"Hello," Nathanial greeted blandly. "How are you?"

"Smart ass," Jackson rolled his eyes as they entered the house. "Yes, April knows," he said as he threw his duffel bag into an arm chair.

"Did you tell her?" Nathanial questioned as his gaze shifted to Catherine.

"No," Catherine spoke up. "She already knew. She referenced his car accident this morning during surgery."

Nathanial's gaze moved back to Jackson. "You didn't tell her about the accident?"

"No, why would I?" Jackson snapped, scowling deeply. "Once she found out, she did the exact thing I didn't want her to do! She ran away from me! She is afraid of me!"

Nathanial's eyes softened with sympathy. "She loves you," he assured the younger vampire. "She has to deal with this in her own way. She will come back to you."

"How do you know?" Jackson frowned. "What if she doesn't?!"

"That woman is in love," Nathanial replied. "She will return to you."

Jackson threw his arms up and dropped onto the sofa. "She gave me this when she confronted me tonight," he said as he dug around in his duffel bag and produced the obituary.

"_She_ confronted _you_?" Nathanial asked, mildly amused, as he took the clipping from Jackson.

"Yeah," Jackson smirked and ran his hand over his head. "She knew I was a vampire, and...she confronted me." He actually chuckled at the thought. April was stronger than she thought.

Catherine looked over Nathanial's shoulder as they examined the familiar clipping. "Did she say how she got this?"

"No," Jackson shook his head. "I figure she got it off the internet or something."

"She didn't get it from the internet," Nathanial replied as he turned the obituary over with his fingers. "This is an original."

"Okay, so she got it from a newspaper," Jackson shrugged. "She probably went to the library."

Nathanial and Catherine exchanged a look. "That's impossible."

Jackson made a face. "It's not hard to go to the library."

Catherine shook her head. "That's not what he means."

Jackson's eyes shifted between the two. "Okay...what's going on?"

Nathanial sat in the arm chair across from Jackson. "After your accident, your mother and I made sure that every copy of the newspaper was destroyed."

"We even set fire to the library," Catherine confessed and looked to the floor.

"Thorough," Jackson replied dryly. "Well, obviously, you missed one," he said and motioned to the obituary in Nathanial's hand. "Someone had proof of the accident, and they gave it to April."

Nathanial sat quietly in the arm chair as Catherine and Jackson tossed ideas around. He knew exactly who had given April this piece of information. There was only one copy of the obituary left on the planet; and that copy was left in care of the Taylor family. "Catherine, Jackson," he interrupted, moving to his feet. "I'm sorry to be so rude, but I have business to take care of."

Jackson's eyes narrowed; he'd heard those words from Nathanial before. "You know who did this, don't you?"

"I do," Nathanial replied simply.

"Who?!" Jackson demanded, moving to his feet as well.

"I will not answer that."

Jackson's eyes darkened with anger. "It was your nephew, wasn't it?!"

Nathanial pulled on his leather jacket. "I will take care of it," he stated before leaving the Avery house.

Seconds later, Nathanial was speeding towards Seattle Grace hospital, having to work extremely hard to keep his anger in check.

Matthew was the one who had given April the newspaper clipping. That exact obituary was in the box that was given to him when his father passed away.

The Taylor line had a box of information regarding Nathanial and the Avery family-that box was passed down to each Taylor heir when the elder passed on. It was an information kit, so to speak, that informed the Taylor heir what his duties were as protector of Nathanial, Catherine, and Jackson. Matthew had obviously taken Jackson's obituary and given it to April; the last remaining copy of Jackson's obituary was placed in the Taylor box decades ago. Catherine didn't even own a copy!

Nathanial tried to reign in his anger as he put the car into park. He could easily snap his nephew's neck with no second thought or remorse. Matthew had angered him that much.

Hours later Matthew moved his tired body towards his SUV. It had been a long, tiring day, and he was eager to get home. He tried not to focus on his distaste for the SUV-how he wished Nathanial hadn't destroyed his favorite truck. Matthew slowed his steps, feeling like someone was watching him. "Who's there?" he called, turning around quickly. No one was behind him. Matthew scanned the parking lot, seeing no movement what so ever. "Crazy," he muttered, turning back towards his SUV. He immediately stilled when he saw Nathanial leaned against the driver's side door. "Uncle."

In the blink of an eye, Nathanial moved from the SUV to mere centimeters in front of Matthew. "What did you do?" he growled, grasping his nephew by the throat. Matthew coughed and gasped for air, his face slowly turning a muted blue color. Nathanial tossed the man, watching as he slid across the pavement.

"Nothing!" Matthew cried after gasping for breath. "Nothing, Uncle, I swear!"

Nathanial was upon him again, grasping him by the arm and snatching him to his feet. "Liar," he snarled, pinning his nephew against the SUV.

Matthew cowered, his fear shaking him to the bone. "Okay, okay!" he pleaded as Nathanial's hand wrapped around his throat again. "I gave April the obituary!"

Nathanial glared at him, then punched the SUV beside Matthew's head, putting an indention into the side of the vehicle. He thought the confession would simply confirm what he already knew, but it only fueld his anger. "Why!" he demanded, backing away slowly before he killed the young man.

"She needed to know," Matthew defended himself. "Jackson wasn't being honest with her...she needed to know what she was getting involved with!"

Nathanial brought his fingers to his temples, massaging the pounding skin. "You were told to never share that information, Matthew. Never! You have no idea what you've done!" The rage in Nathanial grew with each passing millisecond. Matthew was supposed to keep the existence of vampires a secret! It was his family obligation to assist Nathanial and the Avery family so that they could continue their existence without attracting the attention of humans. It was best that the humans never knew that vampires truly existed.

"She could have googled it!" Matthew snapped, taking a defensive step back.

"No, she couldn't have," Nathanial said through gritted teeth. "All other copies of the paper were destroyed."

Matthew blanched. "I-I d-didn't know that."

Nathanial balled his fists at his sides. "You have crossed a line, Matthew. A line that can never be crossed again. You have disgraced the Taylor name." Nathanial actually envisioned himself snapping Matthew's neck. The boy was too stupid to continue living!

"I'm sorry," Matthew spoke quietly. "H-how can I f-fix it?"

"You can't," Nathanial replied, narrowing his eyes. "What's done is done. Now, it's time for the consequences of your actions."

"Consequences?" Matthew squeaked, his eyes frantically moving about for an escape route.

"Don't even think about it," Nathanial growled. He cleared his throat, taking another step away from the human. "You are to leave the country immediately."

"Leave the country?" Matthew snorted. "You-you're exiling me?"

"Yes," Nathanial spoke, taking another step backwards to avoid hurting the man. "Yes, I am."

"You can't do that!" Matthew snapped. "You don't tell me what to do! I never signed on for you to be my boss!"

A look of disgust crossed Nathanial's face. The stupid boy was more concerned about someone lording over him? "You have no idea what you've done," Nathanial spoke slowly, his voice waivering out of pure anger. The fact that he hadn't ripped Matthew limb from limb was a miracle. "You have no idea what catastrophic events will unfold if that woman tells _anyone_ what you've told her!"

Matthew bit the inside of his cheek, considering his uncle's words. "You're lying," he finally spat. "You're trying to convince me that I've done something terrible...I've only protected April from you!"

Nathanial closed his eyes, resisting the urge to charge his nephew. "You've done much more than that, Matthew. Much more." Nathanial started back towards his car, then turned back to his nephew. "I no longer uphold you to the legacy of the Taylors. You are free from assisting those like me."

Matthew felt his shoulders relax. "Good," he spat. "I never wanted to help you."

Nathanial nodded once. "I realize that. You do not have to worry, nephew. You will never see me again."

"Even better."

Nathanial turned towards his car again, but stopped one more time. "You will also no longer have my protection."

"Y-You're protection?" Matthew squeaked.

"Yes," Nathanial replied simply. "Jackson has wanted five minutes alone with you since the moment he met you. The only thing keeping him away from you was me."

Matthew's eyes widened. "You-you're going to let him kill me?" he gaped.

"Yes," Nathanial nodded.

Matthew's mouth dropped. "You'll honestly let him kill me?! I'll be dead in less than a minute!"

"No," Nathanial shook his head solemnly. "You'll wish you were dead within thirty seconds of being alone with Jackson. However, he'll make you beg for death for four and a half more minutes before he finally grants your wish."

Matthew felt the color drain from his face. The thought of being alone with Jackson Avery terrified him. A slow, torturous death terrified him even more. "Help me," he begged, reaching out for his uncle. "I'm sorry for what I've done...and for what I've said...please...help me..."

"Leave," Nathanial said simply. "We are done here, Matthew. I no longer have any family." In the blink of a human eye, Nathanial was back in his car and speeding away from the hospital. Minutes later, Nathanial parked his car outside of his home. He climbed from the vehicle, feeling truly, utterly alone for the first time in nearly a hundred years. Nathanial lost his mate, his best friend, and now his blood family. It was going to be a long eternity.


	2. Chapter 2 - Standing in the Gap

**A/N - The weather has been nice lately where I live, so I've been going to the lake, sitting in a swing, and actually thinking about this story. Reviewing what I've written, thinking about what else I plan to write, coming up with dialogue, etc. The last two times I've been there, I've noticed this lone goose on the water. It really caught my attention because you rarely see a single goose. I think I read somewhere that they mate for life. Anyway, I've nicknamed that goose Nathanial :)**

* * *

Chapter 2 - Standing in the Gap

Two weeks later Nathanial looked up from his book as Jackson and Catherine returned to the Avery home. His gaze narrowed as he studied Jackson before the young surgeon swiftly moved upstairs. He noted that Jackson's normally bright eyes were void of any light and were slowly taking on a crimson shade. "I see things are not any better," he spoke as Catherine cringed when Jackson slammed the door to his bedroom.

"No," Catherine sighed heavily. "I-I don't know what to do, Nathanial." She clasped her hands together, casting a glance to the ceiling before lowering herself onto the couch.

"He's not feeding," Nathanial observed; he didn't even have to form the phrase as a question. It was clear to him that Jackson was lacking the nutrition that he needed. It wouldn't be long before Jackson was unable to control himself and he attacked the first human in sight.

"He refuses," Catherine stated quietly. "I think he's punishing himself for what he is...he feels responsible for April rejecting him."

"_Has_ she rejected him?" Nathanial clarified as he slowly closed his book and set it on the coffee table at his feet.

"It seems that way," Catherine replied sadly. "April is making it clear that she wants nothing to do with us. The residents are not teamed together anymore, so Jackson no longer works with her. April makes sure that she is assigned to another attending before I can even request her." Catherine hesitated. "Jackson sits alone in the cafeteria every day hoping that she sits with him. She never does."

"Has she spoken to anyone?" Nathanial asked quietly. "Has she told them what we are?"

"No," Catherine shook her head. "That's what I don't understand...she has cut off all contact with Jackson, yet she hasn't spoken a word about our identity. No one even gives us a second glance."

Nathanial nodded slowly as he laced his fingers together. "Do you think that she is afraid?"

Catherine threw up her hands. "I don't even know! The girl is a closed book." She hesitated, then lowered her voice. "I hate seeing him this way."

Nathanial nodded and reached out, patting the mother's shoulder. "I know you do." He moved to his feet as he spoke. "Give him time, Catherine."

"What if he doesn't bounce back from this?" Catherine asked, standing and following behind Nathanial as he moved into the kitchen. "If he keeps on the way that he's going...he'll die, Nathanial! He _has_ to feed." If Jackson did not feed soon, his form would slowly shut down and he would die; Jackson would actually stop existing. The thought of losing her son a second time was more than Catherine could bear.

"I know that," Nathanial replied calmly as he gathered a blood bag and ripped it open. "Jackson knows that too," he spoke as he retrieved a glass and filled it with the dark liquid. "His instincts will kick in. Jackson doesn't want to die." Nathanial's eyes shifted to the ceiling; he knew that Jackson was listening. "He will never see April again if he dies." Nathanial tossed the empty blood bag into the garbage can under the sink and dusted off his hands. "Will you be okay if I leave you alone for a few hours?"

"Yes, of course," Catherine replied, her eyes shifting to the glass. She sent Nathanial a questioning glance, but he simply pointed to the ceiling. Catherine assumed that Nathanial was trying to tempt Jackson with the smell of blood so that he would feed. "Are you going to check on Matthew?"

"Yes," Nathanial lied. He couldn't very well verbalize where he was actually going; Jackson would fly down those stairs, and Nathanial didn't want to hurt the younger vampire. Fighting Jackson now, in his weakened state, would be like taking candy from a baby.

"I haven't seen him in several days," Catherine mused as she walked Nathanial to the door.

"You haven't seen him in two weeks to be exact," Nathanial stated.

Catherine's eyebrow raised. "You sent him out of the country, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"How did you ever accomplish that?" Catherine questioned. "Matthew seems quite stubborn."

"He is," Nathanial replied. "I simply told him how badly your son wants to get his hands on him." He leaned in and placed a platonic kiss to Catherine's cheek. "Call me if you need my assistance."

"Of course," Catherine smiled and bid him farewell.

* * *

"Ugh!" April exclaimed as the familiar recording filtered into her ears. She ended the call and dropped her phone onto the table. April had been trying to contact Matthew for the past week! She sent him several text messages with no reply. She started calling him two days ago, and his phone went directly to voicemail. Now when she tried to call him, she got a message saying his number wasn't a working number.

Something strange was going on.

Come to think of it, April hadn't seen Matthew at the hospital for several days. Had it been a week? Maybe two? Had he dropped off the face of the planet or something?

"April," Joe called from the bar, noting her empty glass. "You good?"

"Hit me again!" April called and dug her keys from her pocket before Joe could even ask for them. April had spent practically every night in the bar since Jackson confessed what he was...since Jackson confessed that he was a vampire.

"Thank you," Joe nodded as April plunked her keys into his hand and he replaced her empty glass with a filled one. "You're not on call tonight, right?"

"No, I swapped with Reed," April shook her head. She stared into the dark liquid for a moment before taking a large drink. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move past this.

April had spent two weeks in complete and utter turmoil. One minute she was satisfied with still being involved with Jackson. Her mind reflected on the time she'd spent with him, and not once did she feel afraid of him. That was something, right? But...she also never knew what he was. Knowing, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jackson was a vampire...it changed things for her. April knew it shouldn't have, but it did. It made her acutely aware of the danger of being involved with him. Jackson was a killer; sure, he claimed he'd never killed anyone, but that didn't mean he never _would_ kill anyone. What if he killed her?

She knew it was probably the wrong thing to do, but after Jackson's revelation, April started doing research. She spent hours on the computer, in front of her television, and in her elbows in books. She stayed up for three days straight reading the teen novels about the vampire-Edward something. April pulled up her netflix account and watched every movie and television show related to vampires. She spent hours on end typing 'vampire' into search engine after search engine. Her browser history was filled with thousands of websites. The more April read, the more she became confused. One source claimed that vampires turned into bats at night while another source stated that vampires slept in coffins. One website claimed that vampires were dead, but another claimed that they were very much alive. One novel suggested that vampires were created of stone while a television show portrayed them moving about as humans do. It was all so confusing!

And yet so very real.

There was talk and rumors of actual vampires as recent as two thousand four and two thousand five. Years ago a man was stoned to death because he was thought to be a vampire.

Just as Jackson had warned her. Seemingly innocent people had died due to hysteria and accusations.

April put her forehead into her hand and took another sip of the dark liquid. She wished she could just make up her mind; just make a decision and stick with it! It was nearly killing both of them! She knew how torn up she was, but Jackson, poor Jackson looked like he'd been hit by a truck. April caught glimpses of him from time to time, and he looked as bad as she felt. She _hated_ herself for knowing that she was hurting him. But bless him, Jackson gave her space. He was leaving her alone until she reached a decision. No matter how badly he was hurting...he was giving her the time she asked for.

April shook from her thoughts as the sound of footsteps approached her table. "Don't even try it," she waved off her advancer. "I'm not available."

"Neither am I."

April's eyes moved to the man who had approached her table. She tried desperately to remember him, but her alcohol stunted memory could not place him. "I know you," she finally mused as her brows knit together.

Nathanial's eyes observed the drink in her hand; obviously not her first. "I am Nathanial," he introduced. "Matthew's uncle...and a friend of Jackson's."

"Jackson," April mused, watching as the man gracefully sat across from her. Her eyes moved over him in a suspicious manner. The man had that same allure that Jackson possessed. "Oh my God," her eyes widened.

"Calm down, April," Nathanial instructed. "Do not make a scene."

April stumbled to her feet, nearly knocking over the chair. She gasped when Nathanial caught the chair and set it upright in a matter of seconds. "You-You're one o-of th-them!" she exclaimed and took a step back.

"Sit down," Nathanial replied gently, but firmly. He watched as April cast a glance over her shoulder. "I will be at that door before you have a chance to take two steps."

April slowly returned to her seat. "Why are you here?" she asked quietly.

"We need to talk," Nathanial stated.

"About what?"

Nathanial laced his fingers on top of the table. "Our boy is hurting right now. I'm here to find out where you stand."

April's eyes moved to the ground. "O-Our boy?" she asked quietly. "J-Jackson said his father was named Henry..." Her eyes moved to Nathanial's as the pieces slowly connected in her muddled brain. "You changed him?"

"I changed Catherine," Nathanial corrected. "Catherine changed Jackson."

"Why did you change Catherine?"

"Her husband, my friend, asked me to," Nathanial replied.

Not one, not two, but _three_ vampires walked the streets of Seattle. "I-I need to g-go," April stuttered.

"Please sit down."

April remained standing and gripped the table tightly for support. "Tell me why you're here." The demand was meant to come out strong, but April's voice wavered at the end.

Nathanial studied her. It was clear to him that the girl suspected why he was here, and she _wanted_ him to help her. She didn't realize it herself, but the fact that she hadn't already fled meant that she was willing to handle the issue they presented her. "Are you familiar with the term standing in the gap?"

April nodded slowly. "We used that term in church."

"I am here to stand in the gap for you and Jackson," Nathanial replied and motioned to the chair across from him. "Please, sit down."

April returned to the chair again. "Did Jackson send you?" she asked quietly.

"No," Nathanial shook his head. "Jackson would be quite upset if he knew that I was here."

"Then why do it?" April frowned.

"Because you're not thinking clearly."

April's mouth dropped. "I'm not thinking clearly?!" she exploded. "Oh, I'm sorry if I can't just...just..._accept_ that someone I care about, someone I love, is a murderer!"

Nathanial's eyes slightly narrowed. "Who has he murdered?"

April bit her lip. "He says no one, but..."

"You do not trust him?" Nathanial interrupted.

"What?" April stammered.

"You do not trust him?" Nathanial repeated. "You think he'd lie to you?"

"Well, he lied to me about what he is!"

Nathanial raised an eyebrow. "He never lied to you. He simply withheld the truth so that you would not be afraid of him."

April frowned deeply. "Lying and withholding the truth are the same thing."

"He told you the truth," Nathanial pointed out. "He didn't tell you as soon as he met you, but he _did_ tell you."

"Okay, fine, whatever," April threw her hands up.

Nathanial nodded. "Now, tell me who he murdered." He watched as April shifted uncomfortably. "Come on, April, give me names. You obvious know more about Jackson than I do."

Aggravation filled April's depths. "Okay, fine," she snapped. "I don't have names...I don't know of anyone he's murdered! It doesn't change the fact that he _could_ murder someone."

"Anyone is capable of murdering someone," Nathanial pointed out. "Anyone. Murderers are not limited to vampires." He watched as April dropped her gaze again. "Why are you afraid of him?"

April's hands wrapped around her glass of liquid courage. She looked into the glass before taking another sip. "I-I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I can't really explain it...I was just afraid."

Nathanial nodded slowly. Lilly had expressed the same unknown fear at first. "Has he done anything to make you afraid of him?" April shook her head. "Has he done anything to hurt you?" Again, April shook her head. Nathanial let a silence settle in before speaking again. "I think you are afraid of the _idea_ of him."

April let the words soak into her core before speaking again. "I think you're right," she finally whispered. "Before, I didn't know...I didn't know I should be afraid...but now that I know...I think I _have_ to be afraid..." She sighed heavily. "Am I making any sense?"

Nathanial nodded. "You're making complete sense." He hesitated before speaking again. "You have no reason to fear Jackson. If he wanted you dead, you'd be dead." April gasped. "He loves you, April. He would never hurt you."

"He loves me?" April whispered, blinking back tears.

"Yes," Nathanial nodded and straightened in the bar chair. "I think you need to talk to Jackson. You need to learn what he is."

"I've done my research," April replied.

Nathanial smiled patiently. "Please don't tell me you've read books and watched movies."

April bit her lip. "Is that bad?"

Nathanial closed his eyes and shook his head; humans always thought that they could find the secret to vampires in the latest blockbuster film. "You're counting on pop culture to educate you about Jackson and what he is when you should be going to the source. Talk to Jackson. Be honest with him, and let him educate you. He's the only source you need."

April ran her finger along the rim of the glass as she considered Nathanial's words. He made very valid points. Jackson never made a move to hurt her. In fact, he had saved her. "Thank you," she spoke softly and watched as Nathanial moved to his feet.

"You're welcome," Nathanial replied and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. "Take a cab home," he advised and lay some bills on the table in front of her.

April looked to the cab fare on the table, then looked up. Nathanial was gone.

* * *

The next day during lunch hour, April took a deep breath outside of the cafeteria door. This was it. There was no going back. April pulled open the door and scanned the cafeteria, locating Jackson at his usual table. Their usual table. Her heart went out to him. "Hey," she greeted quietly after crossing through the crowded cafeteria.

Jackson looked up, surprise filling his features. He had given up on April days ago; he didn't even listen for her anymore. It was clear to him that she was finished with him. "Hey," he replied hesitantly, watching as April carefully sat down across from him. He stared at her, not exactly sure what to say. "I've missed you."

April sighed. "I've missed you too," she replied honestly. "I've been doing some thinking," she said and bit her lip.

"Okay..."

April smiled gently at the uneasiness in Jackson's tone. She reached out timidly and rested her hand on top of his. Jackson's eyes immediately darted to their hands, and he moved to twine their fingers together, but he stopped himself; he was still giving her the space she asked for. "We need to talk," she said and rubbed her thumb on top of his hand. "There's some things I want to know about you."

"I'll tell you everything," Jackson promised.

"I know you will," April nodded, pulling her hand away. "Meet me in the resident's lounge tonight after your shift, okay?" She frowned and looked to her waist as Dr. Sloan paged her. "I'll see you tonight." She leaned across the table and placed a timid kiss to his cheek before leaving the cafeteria.

April felt a peace settle over her as she moved through the halls of Seattle Grace Mercy West. Reaching out to Jackson made her feel complete again. She knew it was stupid, almost unhealthy, to be so wrapped up in a guy, but...she truly felt that Jackson was her other half. Sure, she could have lived the rest of her life without meeting Jackson, and she probably would have been perfectly fine, but meeting him...meeting him made things so much better.

April managed to push the thoughts of Jackson to the back of her mind as she focused on plastics. Dr. Sloan had a series of afternoon surgeries that thankfully kept her mind on other things. April wasn't thrilled with abdominoplasty after abdominoplasty, but it managed to pass the time.

That night April gripped the items in her lab coat pockets as she slowly walked towards the resident's lounge. She had a plan that she was about to set into motion; April just hoped it would not lead to her demise.

April had to know if she could fully trust Jackson. She believed she could, but she needed concrete evidence. April was a practical person, and she needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was safe with him. Once she knew for certain that he wouldn't harm her, she was in this. April was willing to be with Jackson. The last two weeks had been the worst two weeks of her entire life. She needed Jackson in her life if she wanted a chance at happiness.

April rest her hand on the doorknob of the resident's lounge and took a deep breath. Everything was about to change. When she left this room, she would know if she could trust Jackson Avery or not. "Hey," she spoke softly after opening the door and stepping into the lounge.

"Hey," Jackson replied, looking over to her. "How was your day?" He tried to make things casual, but truth be told, he was panicking on the inside. He knew that he was walking a tight rope with April and if he said the wrong thing, or came on too strong, she would run from him again and never look back this time.

"Not good," April replied and shook her head. "I haven't had a good day in about two weeks."

"Neither have I."

April closed the door, leaning against it and taking a breath before turning the lock.

Jackson's eyebrows shot up. Had she just locked the door? "Did you seriously just lock yourself in a room with a vampire?" He nearly spat the word, but he had to remind April exactly what she was dealing with.

"Yeah, I did," April nodded. "I locked myself in a room with a vampire."

Jackson swallowed hard. April just admitted what he was, and the fear that was in her eyes two weeks ago was gone. "Okay..."

April licked her lips nervously. "I've done a lot of thinking since that night. I've gone back and forth a thousand times," she confessed as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and wrapped her fingers around the items she'd swiped from the supply closet early in the day. "I've wrapped my mind around the situation, and I can handle it." She laughed a little and looked to the floor. "Still, sometimes it's hard to believe that you're really a vampire, but," she shifted her eyes to meet Jackson's, "I can deal with it. I just have to know that I can trust you."

"You can trust me," Jackson replied quickly. "I will never hurt you, April, I swear."

"You'd never hurt me in theory," April replied gently as she pulled a roll of gauze from her pocket and set it on the bench that was between her and Jackson. "We'll never know for sure unless you're tested." April removed the boxed disposable scalpel from her pocket and slid the blade out gently, trembling as the box landed on the floor with a thud that seemed to echo in the quiet lounge. April held his gaze for a moment before pressing the scalpel to the palm of her hand and sliding the blade across her skin.

Jackson stiffened as the dark liquid seeped from her pale skin. His jaw tightened as his eyes moved from hers, to her palm, then back to her questioning depths. April, his April, was the bravest human he had ever encountered. It was obvious that she loved him and was testing him to see if he craved her blood, or if he loved her in return.

April gasped when she blinked and Jackson was standing right there in front of her rather than across the lounge. She ignored every instinct in her body that was screaming for her to move away from him. Her fight or flight was in over-drive, and it was telling her to get away from him as quickly as possible. She remained firm and dropped her eyes to her wrist as Jackson's hand wrapped around it gently. Jackson's other hand moved to her palm, pressing a piece of gauze against her wound. April's heart pounded as Jackson leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her hand.

Jackson took her free hand and guided it to cover her wound, then released his hold on her and stepped back. "I will never hurt you."

April held the gauze against her hand as she stared at Jackson. She had literally put her life on the line. Jackson could have killed her then, overcome with temptation, but he didn't; he resisted her blood. April blinked back tears and walked up to him, reaching her hand up and cupping his cheek. "You're not getting rid of me," she whispered.

"I don't want to," Jackson whispered back. His arms naturally wrapped around her as she pressed her cheek to his chest and put her hands to his waist. He listened as her heart slowed to a gentle rhythm, and she she sighed happily.

"I want to know everything," April spoke softly after several moments of silence. She tilted her head up and looked at him. "Everything."

Jackson brushed the hair from her face, gently tucking it behind ear. "You're ready for that?" he asked quietly, giving her one final chance to change her mind.

"I'm ready," April assured him, leaning up and sealing her promise with a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3 - Vampire Lessons

**A/N - Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers, including Nathanial lovers, Nathanial hater, and Nathanial defenders. Luckily for the Nathanial lovers, Nathanial is relevant to this story, and he will continue to pop up :)**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Vampire Lessons

April's hands trembled slightly as she tried to work the key into the doorknob of her apartment. She let out a slow, shaky breath, trying to force herself to calm down.

"April," Jackson spoke gently behind her. "Are you alright?"

April turned towards him, sensing the concern in his tone. "I'm fine," she assured him and blew her hair out of her eyes. "I'm not scared, if that's what you're thinking."

Jackson motioned to her shaking hands. "You seem scared."

"I'm not," April promised. "I'm...excited."

Jackson's eyebrows shifted skywards. "You're excited?" he verified, clearly surprised.

"Yeah," April admitted and ducked her head, hiding a small smile. "We're finally happening, Jackson. It's not just you or just me anymore...it's us." She looked to him, her smile growing. "We're not separate people anymore. We're an us...despite everything, we are a we now." She giggled softly. "It makes me happy."

Jackson smiled as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her temple. "I'm happy that you're happy."

April bit her lip and turned back to her apartment, finally managing to open the door. After stepping inside, April hung her keys onto the hook beside her door and removed her coat. Her brows furrowed as she didn't notice Jackson moving around behind her. Turning slowly, April noticed that Jackson was still standing outside her door. "Jackson?" she asked unsurely. "Why aren't you..." She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"I can't," Jackson replied.

"You can't?" April asked, her brows knitting together. "You can't come inside?"

"No," Jackson shook his head. "You haven't invited me inside."

April licked her lips as her mind flashed back to a website she'd viewed last week that stated that vampires had to be invited inside. "So you, an all powerful vampire," she smirked, "are limited by a door?"

Jackson gave her a look. "I'm not all powerful," he corrected, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He noticed that April was becoming more and more comfortable with using the word 'vampire'. "But yes, I am limited."

"Why do I have to invite you inside?" April asked, leaning against her sofa and staring at him.

"It's a form of protection," Jackson explained. "We're natural hunters. We're extremely strong and powerful. Humans don't stand a chance against us, so you have a form of protection. If we're not invited into your home, then we can't hurt you as long as you stay inside."

April trembled slightly at the thought of being hunted and chased by a vampire. "So when I invite you in, you can come inside any time you want?"

"Yes."

April nodded, glancing to the floor for a second before looking back to Jackson. "You seriously can't come in?"

"No," Jackson chuckled and shook his head.

"Really?" April asked, baffled by the idea. It nearly amused her that the lightening fast, freakishly strong vampire had limitations.

"Really," Jackson smirked.

April's jaw dropped as Jackson moved to enter her apartment. He stopped short, as if he had run into an invisible brick wall. "Hold your hand up," April mused as she started walking towards him curiously. "Wow."

Jackson smiled patiently as wonder filled April's eyes.

"It's like I'm looking through a window," April said as she moved to her door. "Uh, I mean, it's like your hand is pressed against a window," she stuttered, holding her hand out and wiggling her fingers. "I don't feel anything."

"That's because you're not a vampire," Jackson teased, then cleared his throat. "Are you going to make me stand out here all night or what?"

April giggled and pulled her hand inside. "Jackson, please come in," she said and watched as he easily stepped into her apartment. "That's so cool!"

"It's not cool," Jackson replied. "Your one form of protection against me is now gone."

April looked to him for a moment. "I'm not afraid, Jackson. I trust you." A part of her wondered if Jackson was upset about how comfortable she had become with what he was-a vampire. Was he trying to scare her or something? April cleared her throat before moving towards her kitchen. "Do you want something to drink? To eat?" She hesitated and looked back at him. "Do you eat?"

Jackson smiled again, very patiently. "April, you've seen me eat a hundred times."

"Yeah, well," April shrugged, "I didn't know if you threw it up later or something."

Jackson chuckled as he hung his coat on her dining room chair. "I know what you've been reading," he smirked as he moved to sit on her couch. "Oh, and water is fine."

April grinned before slipping into her kitchen and retrieving two bottles of water from her refrigerator. "I have a lot of questions," she announced as she joined Jackson in her living room.

"Thank you," Jackson said as she handed him a bottle of water. "I hope I can answer all of them."

April settled on the opposite end of the couch and tucked her legs underneath her before opening her bottle of water and taking a sip. "I had to brush up on my vampire lore," she admitted and set her bottle on her coffee table. "I never thought vampires existed."

"Neither did I," Jackson replied and set his bottle of water down as well.

April tousled her hair before turning to face Jackson. "You're never going to age, right?"

"Right," Jackson nodded. "This is the age I was changed, so this is the age I'll always be."

"What age is that?" April asked curiously.

"Twenty-eight."

April smiled. "I'm twenty-eight." She bit back a giggle and cleared her throat. "Your obituary said it was a c-car accident?" It felt weird to reference Jackson's death.

"Yes, it was a car accident," Jackson nodded. "I was coming home from residency one night. A car swerved into me, hitting me head on. When my mother arrived on the scene, I was dying."

April shivered. "Poor Catherine," she mused, shaking her head sadly. "That must have been horrible for her." She looked back to Jackson. "Did she change you right there? In front of everyone?"

"No," Jackson shook his head. "I'm not sure how exactly, but she and Nathanial got me away from the accident, and she changed me."

April feigned surprise. She couldn't let Jackson know that she was aware of Nathanial's involvement in his history. "N-Nathanial is one too?"

"Yes, he is," Jackson nodded. "There was a burglar in our home one night while I was away at boarding school. My parents didn't know he was there, and they surprised him. He shot both of them and fled. Nathanial wanted to save my father, but Henry insisted that he save my mother." Jackson cleared his throat. "My father died while Nathanial was changing Catherine."

"Oh, Jackson," April gasped and scooted closer to him. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," Jackson shrugged, looking down as April took his hand between both of hers. "I dealt with that a long time ago." April simply nodded and stroked her fingers gently along his palm. Several moments of silence passed before Jackson spoke again. "Is that all you've got?"

"Not even close," April laughed and slid to the end of the couch, leaning over the arm and retrieving a box.

"What is all of that?" Jackson gaped as she set the box on the floor with a thud.

"Research," April blushed and retrieved some papers. "Okay, so I was on the Internet last week..."

"You know how we tell our patients to never research their illness on the Internet?" Jackson interrupted. April nodded. "Never research vampires on the Internet."

"Too late," April replied sweetly and faced him again. "Okay, this one website claims that vampires are a real thing," she began. "But, it also claims that vampires are like normal people, they just have this blood condition or something." She shrugged. "It's kind of confusing," she said as she thumbed through some pages.

"Let me see," Jackson held out his hand. He looked through the pages and shook his head. "Vampires are supernatural beings, and we are not simple humans with a blood condition." He tossed the papers onto the couch as he spoke. "This is not factual information. It's just a bunch of posers."

"Posers?" April giggled. "I haven't heard that word since the nineties." She ducked her head when Jackson smiled. "Anyway," she continued, "this website claims that I could be a vampire if I drank your blood. Is that true?"

"No," Jackson replied. "My blood is too strong for you." He hesitated, trying to break it down properly for her to understand. "My blood is like your blood, but a million times stronger."

"So you have blood in your body?"

Jackson smiled at her fondly. It was clear to him that April had gobbled up everything that had the word 'vampire' on it. "Yes, blood is in my body. My blood pumps through my body and gives me the ability to move, just like your blood pumps through your body and gives you the ability to move."

"I know, uh, I just, uh," April stuttered, clearly flustered.

"You're doing fine," Jackson assured her as he took her hand, squeezing it gently.

April smiled softly. "So what would happen if I drank your blood?"

"You could die," Jackson replied seriously. "Our blood is not meant for humans."

"Wow," April breathed. "So why is there so much information about vampires sharing blood with humans?"

"Society wants to sexualize vampires," Jackson stated simply. "Some people like the idea of vampires biting them, while others like the idea of drinking blood from a vampire. They think it's sexy."

April nodded, looking to the floor. This vampire stuff was intense. "How would I become like you?"

Jackson shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like her asking that question. "A vampire would have to bite you."

"But isn't that how vampires kill humans?"

"If a vampire is feeding," Jackson explained, "then he drains the body. But if a vampire is trying to change a human, then he lets the venom enter the human's bloodstream."

"So you have venom?" April clarified.

"Yes. That's the only way a human becomes a vampire. Vampires are not born; we are created."

April ran her hand through her hair again. "So...if you and I got married, and, uh, had, uh, a wedding night," she fumbled, "I wouldn't have a vampire child?"

"No," Jackson shook his head, his eyes flicking over her box of research. "I can not reproduce." He reached into her box and pulled out the black covered paperbacks. "These books have it all wrong. If a vampire was truly made of stone, and was unable to produce salivia to swallow food, then how could that same vampire have the ability to impregnate a human?" He tossed the books aside. "Those are works of fiction, and not a good measuring stick for real vampires."

"Real vampires," April mused and leaned back against the couch. "I never thought I'd ever have a conversation about real vampires."

"That makes two of us," Jackson smiled.

April glanced back to the novels on the couch. "So is any of that true? Do your eyes change color? Do you sparkle? Can you read minds? Am I asking too many questions?"

Jackson cupped her head and held her gaze. "I want to know every single question you have, even if it takes me a decade to answer them all." He released her gently and settled back. "Our eyes do change color. If we don't feed, our eyes turn red. It's a sign that our body is weakened." He forced himself to keep a straight face as he addressed her next question. "I do not sparkle. Real vampires burn in the sunlight."

April's brows knit together. "Wait a minute," she interrupted. "You walk in the sun all of the time."

"Because of this," Jackson said as he pulled out a necklace from under his tshirt. "It's an amulet I received after my mother changed me."

"So it has powers?" April asked, reaching out and taking the gold 'A' in her hand. "How did she make it?"

"Nathanial made it."

"How?" April asked before tucking the crest under his shirt again.

"I don't know," Jackson admitted. "He knows more about our history than I do, so, he knew how to make it or get someone else to make it."

"If you didn't have that necklace on," April mused, "you'd die?"

"If I tried to move in the daylight, yes," Jackson nodded. "Nature has a way of trying to protect humans from us. If we don't have one of these," he motioned to his necklace, "then we can only roam the night. When you should be tucked in your bed."

April giggled. "Without inviting you in."

"Right," Jackson grinned.

April smiled. She was completely stimulated by Jackson. "What about the mind reading?"

"Nope," Jackson shook his head. "We only have enhanced senses and abilities."

"Enhanced senses?" April asked. "Like what?"

"My senses are very sharp," Jackson explained. "I can hear things that are five miles away. I can break anything with my hands. I can see the crumbs in your carpet."

"Hey!" April frowned and swatted his arm. "I was going to vacuum next week!"

"Of course you were," Jackson teased.

April dropped her gaze to her hands. "You can hear things five miles away?"

"Yes," Jackson replied quietly. "I listened for you when we weren't speaking," he confessed. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. I never eavesdropped on your private conversations."

April sighed with relief. "That day with the flood," she spoke quietly. "What did you see?"

Jackson shifted uncomfortably. "The repairman was going to drop that light fixture on you."

"So you moved me out of the way?"

"Yes."

"You can move that quickly?"

"Yes."

April bit her lip. "C-could you show me?"

Jackson looked to her. "You want to see?"

"I want to know everything about you," April whispered.

Jackson extended his hand. "Then follow me."

April's heart pounded as Jackson lead her outside. One second Jackson was holding her hand, and the next he was gone. "Jackson?" she asked, turning around frantically.

"Over here," Jackson called, waving to her from across the street.

"Oh my God!" April exclaimed, her mouth dropping. "How did you do that?"

In the blink of an eye, Jackson was standing in front of her. "My enhanced abilities, remember?"

April blinked, clearly dazed. "I've never seen you do that before..."

"Because I have to move at your pace," Jackson pointed out. "If I don't, everyone will know I'm different."

April nodded. It seemed logical. "It must suck to move at our pace."

"Some days are worse than others," Jackson grinned.

April bounced on the balls of her feet. "What else can you do?"

Jackson laughed before leaping to the top of her apartment building. "Up here," he called and waved, then laughed again when April squealed. He enjoyed being able to fully expose himself, and his abilities, to her. "Hey," he smirked when he jumped back in front of her.

"That was amazing!" April exclaimed, wonder filling her eyes again.

Jackson glanced to the roof of her building. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," April replied without hesitating.

In one swift motion, Jackson scooped April into his arms and took her to the top of her apartment building. She gasped as he set her onto her feet gently. "It's a wonderful view up here," he spoke quietly, his hands settling on her waist to steady her.

April's breath caught in her throat as she over looked the bustling city. "It's beautiful," she gasped, staring at the twinkling city lights.

"The city is most beautiful at night," Jackson agreed, sliding his arms around her and holding her against his chest.

April sighed, relaxing against him. She truly felt safe with Jackson. "I could stay up here forever," she mused after several moments of silence.

"Me too," Jackson replied and placed a tender kiss to the bottom of her jaw. "But you have more questions for me, don't you?"

"Lots more," April grinned and turned to face him. When she blinked again, she was safely on the ground. "You're amazing!"

"I have amazing abilities," Jackson corrected as he lead her back inside. "_I_ am not amazing. I'm a predator."

April frowned. "You're not like that, Jackson. You've never hurt anyone."

"But I could."

"But you haven't," she countered. "Now stop talking about someone I care about."

Jackson stiffened. She cared for him? April cared about him? She spoke it so simply, so naturally...as if it was a well-known truth. The idea caught him off guard, stunned him, really. "What?" he asked as he noticed April looking at him expectantly.

"I watched this television show," April repeated as she settled on her couch again. "It was called Vampire something..."

"I know the show," Jackson replied. "Honestly, I think one of the producers is a vampire, because that show is very close to the actual truth about vampires."

"Seriously?" April asked as she retrieved her bottle of water.

"Seriously," Jackson laughed. "But I promise, there are no dopple-gangers. And obviously, how they turn humans into vampires is false." He watched as April settled back and slowly digested the information. "Is that all?"

"Hmmm," April mused. "Do you have a reflection?"

"Yes."

"Do you turn into a bat? Or a crow?"

"I don't turn into anything," Jackson assured her and fought back a smile.

"Do you sleep?"

"Yes," Jackson replied, "and before you ask, I sleep in a bed. Not a coffin."

April's cheeks flamed as she looked down. "What about garlic?"

"Not a fan."

April gasped. "So it repels you?"

"No," Jackson smirked. "I just don't like garlic."

April gave him a look. "Can you die?"

"Yes," Jackson replied. "I can actually die two different ways."

"How?" April asked, her eyes wide. She never expected Jackson to be able to die!

"If I don't feed," Jackson began, "my body shuts down. Kinda like if you don't eat food. After a period of time without the nutrients I need, I'll grow weak, my body will shut down, and then I will die." He watched as April's eyes grew larger. "And a wooden stake through the heart."

"O-Only through the h-heart?" she asked dryly. It had shaken her that Jackson could die. She didn't want to think of him dying.

"Only through the heart," Jackson nodded. "If I'm injured anywhere else, I'll heal on my own."

"Really?" April asked.

"Really," Jackson smiled and extended his hand. "Try it."

"Try it?" April questioned, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Go get a knife," Jackson motioned to the kitchen.

"I'm not hurting you!" April exclaimed.

"You won't hurt me," Jackson promised.

April chewed her lip a second before moving into her kitchen and retrieving a knife from the knife block. She sat beside Jackson and held the blade above his hand. "You do it!" she burst out and thrust the knife into his other hand. "I can't do it."

"Wuss," Jackson teased and sliced the knife across his palm. "You can only hurt yourself, huh?"

April watched, entranced, as Jackson's wound slowly closed. "Oh my God," she gushed, running her finger across his in-tact palm. She turned his hand over in hers. "That's amazing."

Jackson smiled and put the knife onto the table. "I'm basically invincible."

"That must be awesome," April sighed. "I'm constantly running into things and hurting myself."

"Oh, to be a fragile human," Jackson smirked.

April swatted his arm before her face grew serious. "How do you survive if you don't kill people?"

"We get blood from the blood banks," Jackson replied. "Each week we get a shipment from a different city." He watched as April seemed satisfied with his answer; he also noticed the relief in her eyes that he didn't feed on humans. "Is that all?"

"One more," April replied, yawning. "How can you be a doctor, and be around all that blood...without being tempted?"

Jackson looked to her affectionately. April had thought of every aspect of his existence. "I want to help people," he answered quietly. "I'd rather spend my time helping humans than hurting them."

"Isn't it hard for you?" she asked softly.

"It was at first," Jackson admitted, "but over time I got used to it."

"You're amazing," April sighed, leaning her head over onto his shoulder.

"_You're_ amazing," Jackson replied as she stifled another yawn. "I should go..."

"Stay," April murmured sleepily, closing her eyes. "I'm only going to rest my eyes one second..."

Jackson wrapped his arm around her shoulder, listening as her breathing evened. She had fallen asleep. April had fallen asleep in a predator's arms; she _did_ trust him. "I'll stay with you forever," Jackson whispered in her ear and kissed her temple.

As long as April had breath in her body, Jackson wasn't going anywhere.


	4. Chapter 4 - It's Only Temporary

Chapter 4 - It's Only Temporary

"I have another question," April announced one month later as she entered the resident's lounge on a Wednesday morning.

"Yes, dear?" Jackson smiled patiently and handed her a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

April placed a peck to his cheek before sitting on the bench beside him. "Last night I was watching a movie," she began before taking a sip of her coffee.

"_Twilight_," Jackson filled in with a smirk.

"Okay, fine," April scowled. "Yeah, it was _Twilight_."

"I knew it," Jackson chuckled and shook his head.

"They're good movies!" April replied defensively and passed him a bite of her biscuit. "Anyway, you know how in the first movie James shows up?"

"That's the hunter, right?" Jackson asked and chewed slowly.

"Right," April nodded. "Anyway, are there vampires like that in the real world?"

"No," Jackson shook his head. "There aren't specific hunters."

April took another drink of her coffee. "I mean...are there vampires like that...who, you know, who enjoy killing innocent people?"

Jackson turned slightly to face her. "Not everyone lives as I do," he began, taking her hand gently. "Some vampires choose to survive on animal blood so that humans don't have to sacrifice at all. However, there are others who enjoy the power that comes with our existence. They enjoy feeding and killing something that is weaker than they are." He watched the color drain from April's face. "But," he said and smoothed his thumb over her knuckles, "our kind does tend to focus on those that aren't very important to society."

"What does that mean?" April asked quietly and twined her fingers with Jackson's.

Jackson pursed his lips, trying to think of a delicate way to word a very harsh truth. "There are certain people that society would not miss if they were to disappear..."

"Like homeless people?" April asked softly.

"Yes," Jackson replied. "Our kind must keep a low profile. The only way to do that _and_ feed on humans is to prey on those that will not be missed."

"That's kind of sad," April whispered, leaning her head onto Jackson's shoulder.

"It is," Jackson agreed as he wrapped his arm around her, "but it is better for them in the long run. They don't have to keep living in a world where society has cast them aside. They don't have to keep starving, fighting to survive, and contracting diseases."

"I guess that is better," April murmured, looking at him. "I wish there was something we could do for them."

Jackson smiled fondly at her as he brushed the hair from her eyes. Never in his entire existence had he met someone like April. "Who are your interns today?" he shifted gears as she took another sip of her coffee.

April moved to her feet, then jarred. "I don't have any interns today," she realized, her eyes widening. "Why don't I have interns?!"

Jackson shrugged. "I don't know."

"I always have interns!" April exclaimed. "Oh my God! Alex overheard the Chief talking with someone about cutting a resident! They thought the resident was going to be able to make it here, but they obviously can't!" Her eyes widened as she started to pace. "I don't have any interns because they're going to cut me!"

"They're not going to cut you," Jackson assured her, watching as April paced. "You're talented and very thorough in your work. Chief would be crazy to cut you."

"He's going to cut me!" April exclaimed as her pager blared. "It's him," she whispered, the color draining from her face. "He's going to cut me!"

"He's not going to cut you," Jackson spoke patiently, standing and putting his arm around her. "Come on. I'll go with you."

"Could you attack him if he cuts me?" April asked hopefully as they left the resident's lounge.

"No," Jackson laughed, shaking his head. "I've never attacked anyone."

"That's very noble of you," April smiled. "You're such a noble guy...that's why I love you." She smiled happily, then stopped cold.

Jackson stopped walking with her. He slowly turned his head to look at the love of his life. Had the young woman just said what he thought she'd said? Based on her wide-eyed appearance, Jackson was guessing that she did.

"Please tell me you didn't hear that," April whispered, averting her eyes to the ground.

Jackson swallowed hard. "I did hear that," he replied quietly.

"Oh nooooooooo," April groaned and buried her face in his chest.

Jackson smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. He rested his cheek on her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her. "I love you too," he spoke softly into her hair.

April looked up at him. "You do?"

"I do," Jackson replied softly, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "I wanted to tell you in a better way..." He'd wanted to honor April by telling her his feelings for her in a way that she deserved-a private dinner on a rooftop with candles and champagne. April deserved an unnatural romantic gesture. She deserved what was portrayed in movies that made the humans swoon.

April smiled softly and placed her finger over his lips. "You told me perfectly," she whispered.

Jackson cupped her cheek and kissed her softly again as her pager bleeped for the second time. "I guess we should go," he chuckled and pulled away from her.

"What's the rush?" April murmured and twined her fingers with his as they continued to the elevators. "You paged?" she asked brightly minutes later as she and Jackson approached the Chief on the first floor.

"Yes, Dr. Kepner," Chief Webber said and slapped a chart closed. "Have you noticed that you do not have any interns this morning?"

"Yes, I have," April spoke, her voice wavering.

"Did you happen to wonder why?" Chief asked and turned to her, propping his arm on ledge of the nurse's station.

April shrugged casually. "Am I over my work hours this week?"

"No," Chief Webber shook his head, then smiled. "You have been selected for a solo surgery."

April's mouth dropped. "Are you serious?!" she exclaimed. "I get to do a solo surgery?"

"Yes," Chief Webber smiled. "I have been monitoring the Mercy West residents since the merger. I've spoken with the attendings and your fellow residents, and you show the most potential, Dr. Kepner."

April rocked back on her heels, clearly shocked. "Thank you, Chief!" she exclaimed.

"You'll be performing a splenectomy on Miss Patterson in room three oh four," Chief Webber instructed. "She came in through the pit last night. Go touch base with her, and meet Dr. Bailey in the OR."

"Thank you!" April exclaimed before dashing towards the elevator.

Jackson chuckled to himself as his love had momentarily forgotten about him. "So, Dr. Kepner has the most potential?" he teased, directing his gaze to Chief Webber. "I could have done that surgery, you know."

"You could do _my_ surgeries," the Chief smirked and clapped Jackson on the back before moving towards his office.

Jackson met with his interns and dispersed them amongst the hospital, instructing them to page him if there was an emergency. He checked on his patients from the day before, then moved to the gallery to support April during her first solo surgery. "What are you doing here?" he frowned as he entered the gallery and spotted his mother seated in one of the chairs.

"I wanted to watch April," Catherine replied simply.

"Why?" Jackson asked suspiciously and took the seat beside his mother.

"She is a part of your life now, Jackson," Catherine said, glancing over to her son. "I'd like to know more about her."

"Haven't you worked with her?" Jackson frowned, his brows knitting together.

"That was only for one surgery," Catherine dismissed him. "And even then, she wasn't interested in my abilities. She was collecting clues about you." Catherine smirked and turned her attention to the OR below her. "When are you going to bring her home?"

"I wasn't planning on it," Jackson stated bluntly. "The last thing April needs is you grilling her."

"I wasn't going to grill her," Catherine snapped.

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "You've tried to grill every single woman I've dated. Why do you think I left for Paris?"

Catherine pursed her lips; she knew the real reason why Jackson left for Paris. "Those women were not right for you..."

Jackson shook his head and laughed softly. "You're a piece of work."

Catherine grew serious. "I want to know your mate, Jackson," she spoke quietly. "April is part of our family now."

Jackson studied his mother's demeanor. "You accept her?"

"Yes," Catherine nodded. "She is good for you, Jackson."

Jackson sat back, stunned. "Obviously not if _you_ approve of her."

"Jackson!" Catherine exclaimed.

"I'm joking," Jackson chuckled, turning his eyes to the OR as Dr. Bailey and April entered the room.

"Kepner, I'm going to be right over here," Dr. Bailey told her and moved to a back corner. "Just pretend that I'm not even here."

"But you _are_ here," April replied, taking a deep breath. "Do you think I can't do this?"

"I know you can do this," Dr. Bailey replied. "I'm just here in case something goes wrong." She pulled a crossword from under her arm. "I'll be finishing my puzzle." The attending softened her tone. "You're ready, Dr. Kepner."

April nodded with determination. Her entire life had lead her to this moment; striking out on her own. Doing what she was born to do. Her eyes shifted to the gallery, spotting Jackson. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up. April smiled under her scrub mask and approached the table. "Scalpel."

Jackson felt himself swell with pride. April looked like a natural in that OR. She seemed so comfortable, like she'd always done it. A confidence took over her tone as she took the scalpel and sliced into the patient's abdomen. "Look at her go."

"She's a natural," Catherine smiled. "Like your father."

"How is she doing?" Chief Webber asked as he joined the Avery duo in the gallery.

"Perfect," Jackson replied, glancing over his shoulder to the Chief. "You made an excellent choice."

"The choice wasn't mine," Chief Webber replied as he sat down beside Catherine. "Good call, Catherine."

"You suggested her?" Jackson asked, looking to his mother with a slightly dropped jaw.

"She has a gift," Catherine spoke simply, looking to the OR again as Bailey's pager beeped.

"Dr. Bailey," the scrub nurse called after picking up pager. "It's a nine-one-one from the third floor."

Dr. Bailey moved to her feet in record time. "Dr. Kepner, I have to take this," she said, her voice having a sense of urgency. "Will you be able to handle this by yourself?"

A wave of panic moved through April briefly. "Y-Yes, Dr. B-Bailey."

"Dr. Kepner! Can you finish this surgery without my assistance?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey," April spoke, forcing more confidence into her tone. "Go." Seconds later the attending was gone. April closed her eyes for a moment before removing the spleen and dropping it into the metal pan.

"She did it!" Jackson exclaimed.

"We knew she could," Catherine smiled.

"Dr. Kepner!" the scrub nurse panicked. "You've got a bleeder!"

Jackson watched in horror as April froze, just as she had during that code in the pit. "Come on, April," he encouraged, seeing April stand there.

"Dr. Kepner!" the scrub nurse yelled.

"O-okay," April stammered, jarring into action. "Suction!" Her face paled. "I nicked the pancreas!" she exclaimed.

"Richard," Catherine spoke urgently as the patient's blood pressure dropped. "Help her!"

Chief Webber moved to his feet, looking from the panicking resident to the vitals. "The patient will be dead before I can scrub in."

Jackson was out of the gallery and scrubbing in before he had a chance to think. Milliseconds later he was standing across from April, hurriedly repairing the damage.

"Blood pressure is one hundred over sixty and climbing," the scrub nurse announced. "Good save, Dr. Kepner."

April blinked, looking into the body cavity. Everything appeared normal, and all signs of trauma were gone. She blinked again, shifting the instruments. How had things changed so quickly? April's eyes moved to the gallery, seeing Jackson leaned against the wall now. "Uh, cl-closing up," she announced before retracting her hands.

"Good save today, Dr. Kepner," Martin, the anesthesiologist, praised as he dried his hands twenty minutes later. "For a minute there, I thought she was a goner."

"Yeah, me too," April sighed, rinsing her hands and grabbing a handful of paper towels.

"You react well under pressure," the anesthesiologist remarked before leaving the OR.

April shook her head and tossed the paper towels into the garbage can on her way out of the door. "Chief," she squeaked as Chief Webber waited for her.

"Good work today, Kepner," the Chief spoke. "You made a common mistake, but reacted quickly so the patient didn't suffer."

"A c-common mistake?" April questioned.

"Yes," Chief Webber nodded. "Miss Patterson's spleen was twice its normal size. It's common to injure a surrounding organ..."

"You knew that was going to happen?!" April exploded.

"Yes," the Chief nodded. "You have to be on your toes in the OR, Dr. Kepner. Anything can happen." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Good job."

April relaxed against the wall as Chief Webber walked away. She could receive all of the praise in the world, but deep down, April knew that she didn't deserve it. Jackson did. Pushing herself away from the wall, April pulled out her cell and paged Jackson.

Moments later Jackson pulled the pager from his waistband and groaned. She was barely out of surgery, but already paging him. April knew what had happened. A small part of Jackson had hoped that she wasn't used to his lightening fast abilities yet, and that she would think adrenaline had kicked in, and she'd fixed everything on her own. He should have known that April was too smart for that. "Hey," he spoke brightly minutes later as he entered the on-call room on the second floor. "Good job in surgery today."

"People keep saying that," April said as she pulled off her scrub cap, "but...I don't think I deserve it."

"Of course you do," Jackson encouraged. "You did a great job. That spleen was huge!"

April looked down for a moment. "What about the pancreas?"

Jackson shrugged. "Considering the size of the spleen, you're lucky you didn't cut the pancreas in two."

April ran her hand through her hair, lingering her fingertips at her temple. "I don't...remember...fixing anything..."

"That's how adrenaline works," Jackson replied casually. "It just sort of takes over while your body goes into auto-pilot. You know what to do, so..."

"You fixed it, didn't you?" April cut him off, her words barely above a whisper.

Jackson pursed his lips, wishing he was the type of person who could lie to someone he loved. Unfortunately, he wasn't. "Yes, I fixed it."

April nodded, her suspicions confirmed. "Did you think I couldn't do it?"

"I knew you could do it," Jackson stressed. "You're an amazing surgeon, April. But I also knew that you were panicking, and I wanted to help you, that's all."

April threw herself into him, wrapping her arms around Jackson and holding him close. "Thank you," she said into his chest.

Jackson held her close. He didn't doubt April's abilities at all; he simply knew the panic that consumed a surgeon when the monitors started to beep. Plus, April had made a common mistake. "I lost my patient on my first solo surgery," he whispered into her hair.

"You did?" April asked, looking up to him with widened eyes.

"Yes," Jackson nodded. "My first solo surgery was a splenectomy. I accidentally sliced into the stomach, and the contents poured into the cavity. The patient died."

"That's terrible," April gasped.

"I was told it was a common mistake," Jackson continued, "but I never forgot that patient's face." He hesitated for a moment. "I didn't want that to happen to you."

"So you saved me again," April mused, easing back and looking at him.

"Only because you saved me first," Jackson whispered.

April sighed, feeling her heart melt. Jackson was always saying such wonderful, sweet, and romantic things to her. She leaned in to kiss him again, but jumped when her pager went off. "It's Dr. Bailey," she announced after snatching the pager from her waistband. "I've got to go!"

"I'll see you tonight," Jackson kissed her cheek before April ran from the on-call room. Minutes later Jackson was paged to the pit by one of his interns.

April gained her confidence back as the hours passed. A car wreck brought in several surgeries, and Dr. Bailey allowed her to perform an appendectomy solo. Two surgeries in one day! Luckily, April performed the appendectomy flawlessly, and without Jackson vamping into the OR to save her. She was on cloud nine when she entered the resident's lounge that evening. "I did an appendectomy today!"

"I heard," Jackson smiled and helped her remove her lab coat. "Rumor has it that you're the resident to watch."

"No way," April laughed, shaking her head. "Cristina is the one to watch."

"Cristina's only had one surgery," Jackson smirked.

April's mouth dropped. "Why does that make me feel good?" she laughed and hung her lab coat in her locker.

"Because you're awesome," Jackson smiled, watching as she moved into the bathroom to change into her street clothes. "I was thinking we could pick up a pizza tonight?"

"That sounds great!" April called. "I'm starving!"

Minutes later the two residents left the hospital and picked up a large pizza before heading to April's apartment. "So," April spoke as Jackson slowed the car at a red light. "What's your surgical ranking?"

Jackson looked over to her. "I'm a resident, just like you."

"I know that's what you are _now_," April replied, "but..what could you really be? An attending?"

A slow smile crept onto Jackson's face. "I could be Chief. I've been doing this for about sixty years, you know."

"Wow," April breathed as the light turned green. "You're not bored? I mean, doing the same thing year after year?"

"No," Jackson shook his head. "Different parts of the world offer different types of programs and different types of surgeries. Plus, I still get to help people. That never gets old."

April quieted for a few minutes before speaking again. "Have you ever vamped out in a surgery?"

"Vamped out?" Jackson asked, laughing.

"Yeah," April nodded. "You know, see a patient going south, but then you use your abilities to save them? Like you did today?"

"A few times," Jackson finally admitted.

"I'd love to have that ability," April mused as she looked out of the window. "Most surgeons have the problem with not enough time...getting to move at your speed though..."

Jackson cleared his throat, not fully comfortable with April's line of thought. It wouldn't be long before she asked him to turn her. "The temptation is tough though," he reminded her.

"Not for you," April countered, looking back to him.

"Not everyone is like me," Jackson replied, looking over to her. "Starting out as a vampire is very difficult. Very. Difficult," he stressed.

April held his gaze before looking out of the window. She wasn't going to argue with Jackson just yet. It was clear to her that Jackson had no plans to have her become like him. April had thought of becoming a vampire every single day since finding out what Jackson was. She wasn't an idiot; she could do the math. She might have forty, maybe fifty more years with Jackson, and then she would die. Jackson would not. Sure, fifty years was a long time to spend with someone she loved, but she would also be aging with each year that passed. It didn't matter now, but in ten more years she would be visibly older than Jackson. How would it look in thirty years when gorgeous Jackson was hanging around an old woman? Plus, April didn't want her time with Jackson to end. She wanted to be with him forever.

"You seem bothered," Jackson observed after parking at April's apartment complex.

"I was just thinking," April replied as she climbed from her car.

"About what?"

"About you," she shrugged. "I've seen some of your abilities, but not all of them..."

Jackson watched April fondly. "What would you like to see?"

April grinned widely. "Can you pick up this car?"

"Yes," Jackson replied, fighting back laughter.

"Do it!" April exclaimed, taking the pizza box from his grasp. "Pick up the car!"

"Are you serious?" Jackson asked, looking around. "I'm not supposed to expose myself in public."

"Everyone is asleep!" April exclaimed.

Jackson shook his head. Normally he wouldn't show off, but April was so adorably eager that he couldn't resist. "Just this one time." Jackson easily picked up the car, balancing the right front tire on his palm. He laughed when April squealed.

"Do it again!" she gasped when Jackson set the car down easily.

"One time is all you get," Jackson chuckled, gathering her in his arms and whisking her to her front door.

Half an hour later Jackson and April relaxed on her couch with their feet propped on her coffee table as a romantic comedy of April's choice played on the television screen. Jackson ran his hand up and down April's arm absently as he tried to work up his nerve to ask her an important question. Jackson had only dated casually since his mother changed him into a vampire. He kept most humans at arms length and didn't let them close to him. No one ever visited his home or anything like that. April was the first human to even know what he was! April was different though. Jackson wanted April involved in all aspects of his life. Every single part.

"Do you need anything?" April asked as she paused the movie and gathered up the paper plates.

"Actually, I do," Jackson replied after a few seconds of silence.

"More wine?" April motioned to his empty glass.

"No," Jackson shook his head, taking her hand in his. "I'd like for you to meet my family."

"Y-Your family?" April stuttered, her eyebrows raising.

"Yes," Jackson nodded. "Catherine would like to get to know you as well."

"Catherine," April mused, dropping her gaze.

Jackson watched the uncertainty cross her features. "They won't hurt you," he assured her, squeezing her hand gently.

The thought of entering a house of vampires mildly alarmed April. She took a deep breath and forced the fears from her mind. Jackson loved her and would protect her at all costs. "I'd love to meet your family," she answered with a smile. Perhaps meeting Jackson's family, becoming more involved in his world, would make him see that changing her was the only way they could be together forever.


	5. Chapter 5 - Meet the Family

Chapter 5 - Meet the Family

"How does this look?" April asked Friday evening as she hurried from the bathroom in the resident's lounge.

"You look great," Jackson praised, looking up from his locker.

"You said that about the last three dresses," April sighed with exasperation.

"And it was true about the last three dresses," Jackson pointed out. April gave him a look before hurrying back into the bathroom. "I don't see what the big deal is," he called as he sat on the bench. "They're not going to care about what you're wearing."

April threw open the door, padding from the bathroom barefoot. "They will care about what I'm wearing!" she exclaimed. "Your mother is _the_ Catherine Avery. If I dress too casual, she'll think I'm a slob. If I over do it, she'll think I'm trying to impress her."

"But you are trying to impress her," Jackson smirked.

April pursed her lips. "I know it's silly, but I want them to like me." She looked down to her hands, fumbling with her fingers. "It matters to me what they think."

"It doesn't matter to me," Jackson countered. "I don't care if they hate you. I love you, and that's all that matters." Jackson tried to be patient with April. He understood that she wanted his family to like her, but at the end of the day, it didn't matter what Catherine or Nathanial thought of April. Jackson simply wanted her more involved in his life; he wasn't going to base his decision to be with her on whether his family liked her or not.

"I love you too," April smiled softly before turning and going back into the bathroom. "Okay, the black one or the green one?"

"The green one."

April appeared minutes later in the forest green hanky hem dress. "How do I look?" she asked, pulling her hair up with a crystal clip and turning around slowly.

"Beautiful," Jackson breathed, moving to his feet and walking over to her.

"It's not too much, is it?" April asked, smoothing her hands over her dress.

"It's perfect," Jackson replied, leaning in and placing a soft kiss to her temple. "Stop worrying. They're going to love you." He took her hand, squeezing it gently.

April released a slow breath as Jackson lead her from the resident's lounge. The day had come; the hours of fretting were behind her, and now was the time to take that next step with Jackson. To meet his family. It was exciting and nerve wracking all at once. The butterflies in April's stomach were going crazy, floating up her throat, then settling back in her stomach. Jackson's words comforted her a little bit, but April's nerves still had control of her body. "Thank you," she said, her voice cracking, after Jackson opened the car door for her.

"Relax," Jackson comforted her as he helped her into the car and closed the door behind her.

Jackson and April made small talk, mostly discussing the day's surgeries, as they moved towards the Avery home. April felt herself relaxing until Jackson put the car into park outside of a large two story brick home. "Wow," she breathed as Jackson appeared at her side, opening the door for her. "I didn't know places like this existed anymore." Despite being a mere ten miles outside of the city, the Avery home looked as if it were from another time period all together. A simplier time where children could play in the streets and you could leave your doors unlocked.

"Yeah, Mom's old school," Jackson shrugged as he locked his car.

"You're kind of old school too, you know," April replied as they walked towards the front door.

"Oh really?" Jackson asked, looking over to her. "How so?"

April ducked her head, smiling softly. "Some things you say...it's like proper English." She hesitated. "Plus, you open doors and pull out chairs for me."

"A lady should have those things done for her."

"See," April replied, throwing her hand up. "Men don't refer to women as ladies. Women are just a side of booty they can get in a men's bathroom or something."

Jackson's brows furrowed together. "You deserve more respect than that."

April felt her insides melt. "I never know what to say when you say those things to me."

Jackson smiled. "Just tell me you love me."

"I love you," April whispered as they stopped outside of the front door. "This is it."

"Now or never," Jackson smirked, resting his hand on the doorknob. He turned serious eyes to her. "We don't have to do this."

"No," April spoke quickly. "I want to." She took another breath as Jackson turned the knob and lead her inside.

"I thought we heard voices," Catherine called as she appeared in front of them.

"You've probably been hearing us for several minutes," Jackson muttered and gave her a sideways hug. "Mom, this is April."

"It's nice to officially meet you, dear," Catherine spoke, taking April's hand in hers. "Perhaps _I_ can get to know a little something about _you_ tonight." She gave the girl a knowing look.

"Sorry about that," April muttered, her cheeks reddening. "I just...I had to know..."

"Understandable," Catherine dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Do you know Nathanial?" she asked as Nathanial appeared from a back room.

April blinked, feeling a brief wave of vertigo. "You guys have to stop that," Jackson frowned, his hand moving to April's low back to steady her. "She's still not used to it."

"My apologies, April," Nathanial spoke sincerely. "I do not socialize with humans very often."

"It's okay," April replied, forcing herself to act cool towards Nathanial. Jackson couldn't know that Nathanial had come to her during their time apart. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," Nathanial squeezed her hand. "Would you care for a drink?"

"Water will be fine," April replied, feeling the butterflies flutter about her stomach again. Seconds later Nathanial was putting a chilled glass into her hand. "How is Matthew?" she asked after taking a small sip. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

The three exchanged looks before Nathanial spoke again. "He is away on family business."

"Oh," April mused. "Is everything okay?"

"It will be," Nathanial replied smoothly.

"Tell him I said hello, please," April remarked as Catherine passed Jackson a small goblet filled with dark liquid. April wasn't aware that her drink of choice could have been an alcoholic beverage; a glass of wine would probably calm her nerves. A heavy feeling replaced the nerves in her stomach as she studied the liquid that Jackson brought to his lips. April's eyes darted to the glasses in Catherine's and Nathanial's hand; they were filled with dark liquid as well. A thick, dark liquid that didn't have the appearance of a standard rum or whiskey.

Oh boy.

"April?" Catherine asked with raised eyebrows as the human's face paled. "Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine," April stuttered, tensing as Jackson's arm wrapped around her waist protectively.

"Your heart is racing," Nathanial observed before taking a sip from his glass.

"Y-yeah," April stuttered, releasing a puff of air. "I, um, just, uh, became acutely aware that I'm in a house full of vampires." She laughed nervously.

"You're just now noticing?" Nathanial teased mildly.

April laughed again. "Yeah, umm, it's just the, uh..." She motioned to Jackson's glass. "Is that..."

"Oh," Jackson spoke quietly, looking down to his glass.

Catherine and Nathanial looked down to their glasses as well. The three were so comfortable being around one another that they didn't think the sight and smell of blood would un-nerve April. "We can do this in the kitchen," Nathanial spoke carefully, not wanting to disturb April any further.

"April, we are so sorry," Catherine chimed in. "We're just used to it being the three of us..."

"No, it's f-fine," April stuttered, holding her hands up. "Don't...not do...what you do...on my account." She chewed her lip, feeling guilty.

Catherine set her glass on a nearby table and clasped her hands together. "I have to finish preparing the salad anyway," she baited, her gaze flicking over April.

"Would you like some help?" April offered.

"That would be lovely," Catherine smiled.

Jackson groaned inwardly as April and Catherine moved towards the kitchen. "Could she _be _any more obvious?" he complained to Nathanial and took a sip from his glass.

"You knew she was going to do it," Nathanial chuckled.

"She better not run April off," Jackson frowned.

"April's not going anywhere," Nathanial smirked. "If this," he held up his glass, "didn't run her off, nothing will."

"Would you cut the tomatos, dear?" Catherine asked as she moved about the kitchen freely.

"Sure," April faked a smile before washing her hands. She didn't get the same easy-going feeling from Catherine that she got from Jackson and even Nathanial. Sure, Catherine was throwing the word 'dear' around, but...it was spoken in an almost condescending tone. April had this sinking feeling that Catherine was about to make her life hell.

"So, you can't handle blood?" Catherine remarked as she retrieved lettuce and carrots from the refrigerator.

"Blood doesn't really bother me," April spoke up as she washed and dried the tomatoes. "I'm just not used to seeing people drink it, that's all." She bit her lip, realizing that the trio weren't really 'people.'

"If you're going to spend time with Jackson, you'll have to get comfortable with what he drinks," Catherine mused as she washed the lettuce.

April pursed her lips. "It was just an initial shock," she assured the vampire mother. "I'm over it now. It won't bother me again."

"That's good to hear," Catherine replied as she began tearing lettuce leaves and putting the bits on paper towels. A brief silence settled in before she spoke again. "Are you truly comfortable with what Jackson is?"

April hesitated, her knife slipping. "Yes, I'm comfortable," she finally replied, her voice shaking. "It took me a little while to accept that vampires exist, but once I wrapped my head around that, I was fine." She felt bold speaking the word vampire.

Catherine hummed lowly and began peeling carrots. "Have you ever thought that Jackson might hurt you?"

"He won't hurt me."

Catherine looked over to the girl. "Are you positive?" She watched as the human turned fearful eyes to her. "Jackson doesn't _plan_ to hurt you, but plans change sometimes." Catherine listened as April's heart beat faster. "Anything can happen, you know."

April swallowed hard. "Yes, anything c-can happen, but that can be s-said for everything."

Catherine's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

April set down the knife with a trembling hand. "I c-could get into my c-car tomorrow morning, have a wreck, and die. Does that mean that I should be afraid of c-cars?"

Catherine's eyes darkened. "Jackson died in a wreck."

April took a breath. "I'm sure he wasn't afraid of cars prior to his wreck though."

Catherine made a noise in the back of her throat and turned sharply, retrieving some bowls from a cabinet.

April felt her body sway as she realized that she'd made a valid point that Catherine couldn't argue with. Deep in her core, April knew that she _wasn't_ afraid of Jackson. She trusted him completely. She trusted him in public, and she trusted him when it was just the two of them. Heck, she even trusted him enough that she fell asleep in his arms quite often. If she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in his arms, then she knew that Jackson would never hurt her. "Jackson has sworn that he will not hurt me," she voiced as a thick silence settled in the kitchen. "I believe him."

Catherine began slicing carrots, tossing the vegetables into the bowls of lettuce. "Has he told you that he can not have children?"

"Yes," April replied, picking up the knife and cutting tomatoes again.

"Does it bother you that you will never have children with him?" Catherine pressed. "Never."

"We can always adopt children if we want to start a family," April replied.

Catherine turned to face the redhead. "Will you tell your children what their father is?"

"I-I don't kn-know," April stuttered. "I haven't thought it through all the way."

Catherine hummed sharply and returned to slicing carrots. "These are things you should think about if you want to have a relationship with my son, April."

April set the knife down again and turned to face Catherine. "If you-you're trying to sc-scare me, it's not working." She swallowed hard when Catherine looked to her sharply. "Jackson has already tried to scare me," she spoke, her voice cracking. April mentally cursed herself for being so weak. "I love your son, Dr. Avery, and nothing will change that."

"You love him?" Catherine mocked. What did this girl know about love?

"Yes, I love him," April frowned. She ran her hand through her hair before crossing her arms over her chest. "My mother always told me that when I met the person I was supposed to be with...I'd know. There would be no doubts that he was the one for me. I felt that when I met your son." April released a shaky breath. "It scared me at first, finding out that he is a vampire. It scared me out of my mind." She looked to the floor and shook her head. "I was so afraid that he was going to hurt me, but...my love for him outweighed my fear of him. I love him."

Catherine held April's gaze for several seconds before softening slightly. "Have you thought about your relationship? He will not die, April, but you will."

"I know," April spoke quietly.

"Then what are you plans?" Catherine asked, her tone gentle this time. "Do you plan to become like us?"

"Easy, Jackson," Nathanial spoke from the living room as Jackson moved to charge the kitchen. Nathanial had barely managed to keep Jackson contained as Catherine gave April the third degree, but now Jackson was ready to attack his mother. "Relax." He shoved Jackson back onto the couch.

Jackson was on his feet again in less than a second. "I don't want her putting ideas into April's head," he growled, lunging for the kitchen again.

"April is handling your mother just fine," Nathanial replied as he pinned Jackson against the wall. Seconds later Catherine called the two men to dinner. "Be nice," Nathanial instructed and released Jackson.

"Oh," April jumped as Jackson appeared at her side. "Hey."

"I'm sorry about that," Jackson apologized sincerely.

"It's okay," April smiled. "She's just looking out for you."

Jackson glared at his mother as they sat down at the table. He continued to fume as they chattered about the Seattle Grace Mercy West merger. Catherine asked April what things were like at the other hospital. Jackson wasn't buying Catherine's innocent act in the least. He planned to have a few words, a very loud few words, with his mother when April left for the evening.

"That was wonderful," April raved as Catherine and Nathanial cleared the dinner dishes from the table.

"Thank you," Catherine beamed. "I haven't made lasagna since Jackson was a little boy."

"You haven't lost your touch," April smiled. "Do you need some help with the dishes?" she offered and took another sip of water.

"No, Catherine and I will do the dishes," Nathanial replied as he eased the water glass from April's hand. "Perhaps you could give her a tour of the house, Jackson?"

Jackson sent the older vampire a look of gratitude; he wanted April as far away from his mother as possible. "I'd love for you to see my photo collection," he said as he pulled the chair away from the table.

"You take pictures?" April asked curiously as she stood.

"Yes," Jackson replied as he took her hand and lead her from the dining room. "I've traveled all over the world..."

"You took pictures at every place?" April asked hopefully as they approached the stairs.

"I did," Jackson smiled.

"Have you been to Ireland?" April squealed. "That is the one place I must visit before I die!"

Jackson smiled affectionately. "I have pictures from Ireland." The corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. "You'd fit in well there."

April narrowed her eyes slightly. "Because of my red hair and pale skin?" she mocked and stuck out her tongue at him.

Jackson laughed softly as he lead her into a bedroom. "This is my room."

"Spacious," April remarked, looking around slowly. Her mouth dropped as she noticed a bookcase tucked in a corner. "Are all of those photo albums?" she asked, motioning to the bookcase.

Jackson nodded. "Photography is my hobby. I planned to fall back on it if I wasn't cut out to be a surgeon."

"You're an awesome surgeon," April said as she wandered towards the bookcase. "Do you mind if I look?" she asked, running her finger along the albums.

"Go ahead," Jackson motioned.

April spent the next hour looking through photo album after photo album. Jackson had literally traveled all over the world! Paris, London, Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia, Hawaii, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, the list went on and on! Jackson had multiple passports that were stamped hundreds of times. "This is amazing," April breathed as she smoothed her finger over a picture from Dublin. Her eyes moved to Jackson. "You've lived an unbelievable life."

Jackson shifted. "I've had an unbelievable existence," he corrected. "My life ended in a car wreck."

April's gaze shifted back to the photo album. "I'd love to have these experiences." She looked back to Jackson. "Let's do this."

Jackson's eyebrows lifted. "You want to travel?"

"I'd _love_ to travel," April sighed, closing the photo album gently and returning it to the bookcase. "And you seem to know your way around a country or two."

"You could say that," Jackson grinned.

"Then let's do it!" April exclaimed. "After I make it through residency, take my boards, and become an attending...let's take a year off to travel."

"You'll still be with me after all of that?" Jackson teased, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Of course," April whispered, smoothing her hands up and down his arms. "I love you, and I'm not going anywhere." She leaned up, placing a soft kiss to his lips.

Jackson lingered on her mouth for a moment before easing away from her gently. He had to be careful with April in regards to a physical relationship; he could easily harm her. "I should get you home," he said quietly as April yawned. "We have a long day tomorrow."

"I hate getting tired," April pouted as Jackson lead her from his bedroom. "It must be nice to never get tired, sick, or hungry." She bit her lip, debating whether to voice what else she was thinking. "I wish I was a vampire."

Jackson's back stiffened. "Being a vampire has its draw backs," he warned as they descended the stairs. He cleared his throat loudly as he approached Catherine and Nathanial in the living room. Nathanial was chastising Catherine for the way she had behaved towards April prior to dinner. Jackson was thankful for the source of his existence; his mother wouldn't listen to him if he voiced his displeasure. Catherine would dismiss him completely, but she would believe anything Nathanial told her. And luckily, Nathanial was telling her that she had come on too strong, and had probably frightened the human. He also pointed out that Catherine had forgotten the emotional roller coaster of being a human. "I am going to take April home now," Jackson spoke as Catherine and Nathanial turned to look at him. "We have an early day tomorrow."

"Thank you for joining us for dinner, April," Catherine said and rose from the couch.

"It was nice to get to know you," Nathanial added as they walked Jackson and April to the door.

"Likewise," April smiled politely. "I hope we can do it again."

"We look forward to it," Catherine smiled.

Jackson gave his mother a glare as he helped April into the car. "I want to speak with you when I return home."

"What else is new," Catherine rolled her eyes and turned sharply, retreating inside.

"Is everything okay?" April asked as Jackson pulled away from the Avery home.

"My mother bothers me," Jackson replied, gripping the wheel tightly. "She thinks she knows everything about everything." He grit his teeth. "I just wish she'd back off sometimes."

"My mom is the same way," April shrugged. "I think it's just a mother thing."

Jackson glanced over to her. "I doubt your mother is anything like mine." He let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry for the third degree she gave you in the kitchen."

"You heard that, huh?" April chewed her lip.

"Of course."

"She just cares about you, Jackson," April reasoned.

"No, she just wants to control me."

April studied his profile, seeing Jackson's set jaw in the moonlight. "What's the big deal between you and your mom?" It was clear to her that Catherine and Jackson didn't have the best mother-son relationship.

"Big deal?" Jackson asked, looking over to her. "There's no big deal. We're fine."

"You don't act fine," April replied. "You act like you hate her."

Jackson turned his eyes back to the road. "I hated her for changing me," he admitted quietly after several moments of silence passed.

April nodded slowly, the pieces to the puzzle merging together. "You didn't want to be a vampire?" she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I wanted to have the choice to be a vampire," Jackson answered. "She never gave me a choice. She made the decision for me."

"Jackson," April spoke his name gently. "I can't imagine what it was like for your mother the night of your accident." She closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. "It must have been unbearable to see you...to know that you were going to die..." April opened her eyes and looked back to Jackson. "Your mother just didn't want to lose you. You can't hate her for that."

Jackson sighed heavily. April was right. "I still should have made the choice myself," he finally stated stubbornly.

"I can understand that," April nodded, "but you didn't plan on a wreck that night. Your mother just acted on impulse." April bit her lip as Jackson remained quiet. "Did you ever _want_ to become a vampire?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Jackson shrugged. "I was focused on becoming a surgeon." He made a noise in the back of his throat. "Who thinks about things like that?"

Now it was April's turn to remain quiet. She looked to her lap, clasping and unclasping her hands. "I've th-thought about it," she finally spoke.

"You have?" Jackson asked, his voice emotionless.

"I have," April nodded and took a deep breath. "I want to become a vampire."


	6. Chapter 6 - The Talk

Chapter 6 - The Talk

Jackson's grip on the steering wheel tightened as April's voice flitted through his ears. His angel, his mate, _wanted_ to become a vampire? She actually had the desire to become a creature of the night? Was she even aware of what she was asking? No! She couldn't be! April had no idea what becoming a vampire truly meant. She had no comprehension that becoming a vampire meant selling her soul. Losing herself. Becoming a _thing_ that never died.

"J-Jackson?" April questioned, watching his profile tighten.

"I don't want to talk about this now," Jackson managed to get out through gritted teeth.

"But.."

"Not now!" Jackson snapped, glaring over at her.

April clamped her mouth shut, looking to her hands like a chastised child. She had never seen Jackson angry before. Sure, she'd seem him irritated, but never outright angry, and boy was he angry now. April sat quietly in the car, toying with her hands during the silent drive to her apartment. She looked out of the window, gazing to the passing streetlights as her mind wandered. How could Jackson _not_ expect her to want to become a vampire? He was a vampire, why would she not want to be like him? If she didn't become like him, it meant that she would die. April would grow old and die. She would be forty, fifty, sixty years old with a twenty-eight year old at her side? What, would Jackson help her cross the street because she was too frail to cross on her own? How could he think that she would be perfectly fine becoming a wrinkled old broad while he stayed young, youthful, and immortal? Aging aside, how did Jackson think she was okay with dying? How could April possibly leave Jackson behind? He would spend the rest of his years alone because she died? No! She wanted to spend all of eternity _with_ him. April didn't want Jackson roaming this world alone; she wanted to be there with him. How could he not understand that?

"Are we going to talk about this?" April asked softly as Jackson parked the car outside of her apartment complex.

Jackson closed his eyes for a moment, a slow breath leaving his parted lips. "You don't know what you're asking."

April quirked her head, reaching out and cupping his cheek. "I'm asking to spend all of my life with you."

"This isn't a _life_," Jackson stressed, looking over to her. "This is simply an existence...getting through every day with no end in sight."

April pursed her lips. "If I was with you, I wouldn't be 'getting through.'"

Jackson closed his eyes and shook his head. April had bought into the romanticism of being a vampire. She had fallen hook, line, and sinker for spending all of eternity together. Yes, it was a very appealing thought, but Jackson knew what it would cost April. "Let's talk about this inside."

One second April was seated in the passenger seat, and the next second Jackson had her whisked to her front door. She closed her eyes as a brief spell of dizziness raked through her body. After releasing a shallow breath, April fumbled with her keys and managed to get her door open. "You have to hear my side, Jackson."

"Fine," Jackson replied curtly, moving to her couch in one swift motion. "But you have to equally listen to mine."

"Sounds fair," April agreed as she closed the door and leaned against it.

"How much thought have you put into this?" Jackson asked calmly. "Honestly?"

"I've thought about this since I read your obituary," April confessed softly. Part of what had scared her about Jackson being a vampire was that she would have to become a vampire too. It was a logical thought-she had to be what Jackson was. If Jackson was a vampire, April had to be a vampire too. One plus one equals two. The idea of becoming a vampire scared her to death at the time, but since getting to truly _know_ Jackson, and see his abilities, April's fear changed to desire. She wanted to become a vampire.

Jackson nodded solemnly. "That's not very long," he pointed out gently. How could this girl decide in a matter of minutes that she was willing to give up her whole life?

"It's long enough," April countered.

"No, it's not," Jackson argued gently, but firmly. "We have an amazing connection, there's no doubt about that, but..." He paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "A few days, a few weeks...it's not long enough to decide the rest of your life."

April frowned deeply and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's my decision!" she exclaimed. "You say that your mother never gave you the choice. I'm making my own choice, Jackson! And I choose to be with you."

"You're going on emotions," Jackson replied simply. "You desire to be with me this moment, so you think you'll feel that way in ten, twenty, or even thirty years." He hesitated. "What if you don't? You've given up everything for nothing."

April's mouth dropped. How could Jackson think so little of her? Did he think that she was making this life-altering decision on impulse? "I love you," she stressed. "I have dated guys before, Jackson. I've dated some, been attracted to others, but...I've never felt this way about anyone before." She averted her eyes from his, feeling her cheeks redden. "When I met you, something was different. I felt it instantly. This connection...it's going to stand the test of time." April finally made her eyes meet his. "We're going to last all of eternity."

Jackson held her gaze. As much as he loved her, he couldn't allow her to continue to live in this fantasy world; he had to bring her back to reality. "I don't want you to last all of eternity."

April's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

Jackson looked down. "I'm not going to change you."

April felt the tears spring to her eyes immediately. How could he _say_ that to her?! "You don't mean that," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I do," Jackson replied, looking back to her. "I love you enough to _not_ change you."

April scowled. "That makes no sense!"

Jackson pursed his lips. "I love you enough to not curse you."

April's brows knit together. "I don't see being a vampire the same way you do!" she exclaimed in frustration. "It's not a curse to me, Jackson! It's a chance at life!"

"_Life_?!" Jackson exploded, actually rising to his feet. "You think this is a life?" he spat the word. "This isn't life, April. This is an existence. This is not a life."

April fought back angry tears. "It's a life with you!" she exploded. "I can spend eternity with you, Jackson! Our days together will never end!"

"But they're supposed to!" Jackson countered, his voice elevating. "We're cheating death, April! Me, my mother, Nathanial...we're all cheating death! Life is a balance; we're all born, we live the days we're meant to, and then we die. It's supposed to work that way." Jackson took a breath to calm himself. "Life will mean nothing to you if you know that you have an eternity to live it. You won't appreciate it or value it."

April ran her hand through her hair, clasping the back of her neck. "I understand your point," she ventured carefully. "I do, Jackson. You're speaking from experience, but...you're not seeing this from my side. If I have an eternity with you, it's worth it. The thought of never having to give you up, never having to leave you...that's what I want."

Jackson shook his head. "You're going on your feelings. You're giving up everthing based on your _feelings_." How typically human of her.

"My feelings?" April questioned, her eyes narrowing. "You think I want this because of how I feel in this moment?"

"Yes," he stated as he returned to the couch.

April shook her head, the frustration inside of her taking over. "What is all of this for, Jackson?! If you're so damn set on not changing me, then what are we doing?! Why are you wasting my time!" She flung the words at him, seeing that they were like bullets to him. Jackson actually winced at her last statement, but April didn't care. _Something_ had to get through to him. "We know how this story is going to end! I'm going to grow old and die!" April moved to the couch and sat beside Jackson, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "Will you be there when I die, Jackson?" she whispered. "Will you hold me as my life ends? Will you watch me take my last breath?" A tear ran down her cheek as she spoke.

Jackson sighed heavily and gathered her in his arms, holding her against his chest. April lay her cheek against him and snuggled into him. "That will be the hardest day of my existence," he whispered into her hair.

April sniffed. "I don't want you to be alone," she whispered, looking up to him. "I don't want you to spend eternity alone, Jackson." Her lip trembled.

"I'm meant to," he replied quietly and brushed another tear from her cheek. "This is my curse. I don't want to curse you too." Jackson winced as April ducked her head and trembled in his arms. He cursed himself as she cried softly against his chest. April would never understand what he was saving her from. There were so many things April hadn't considered. If April were to become a vampire, her entire existence would be nothing but death. Surviving her own death, but then watching everyone she loved, everyone she ever cared about, die. April hadn't thought of watching her mother, her father, and her sisters die. April would be the one at each of their deathbeds. April would be the one feeling the pain and agony of seeing another loved one die. It would take its toll on her, and eventually, April would grow to hate Jackson for the torment he caused her. Being a vampire did not mean having a life; it meant being consumed with loneliness.

A silence settled in the apartment as time slowly ticked by. April slowly realized that the discussion was over. Jackson saw that he was protecting her, and he would not falter. He wasn't going to change his mind. She tried desperately to see things through his eyes, but April couldn't understand why Jackson had a chance to be with her, but he was choosing not to. She didn't doubt his love for her, but she didn't understand why he had a chance to make her his for eternity and refused to take it.

An idea hit April so strongly that it made her physically jerk. If Jackson wasn't going to take the chance, she was.

"Are you okay?" Jackson whispered, feeling her jerk and hearing her heart pick up speed.

"I'm tired," April dismissed, pushing away from his chest.

Jackson nodded and studied her closely. The pain in her eyes was evident, and it hurt him to his core. "I'll pick you up in the morning," he said as they moved to their feet.

"I'd like that," April forced a smile onto her face as she walked Jackson to the door.

Jackson took one step out of the apartment and looked back to her. "One day you'll understand."

"Yeah," April nodded, looking away. "It's fine." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jackson replied softly. More than she'd ever know.

April watched him fly down to his car and speed away. She closed the door with a new sense of determination. April no longer needed Jackson to change the course of her future. She was going to alter her future herself.

The next morning April awoke with a new sense of life in her body. Excitement. Today was the day that she was going to get what her heart desired.

April was barely able to maintain a cool facade as Jackson picked her up and drove her to the hospital. She made mindless chatter as they walked through the hospital doors. Who was he working with today? How many surgeries did he have? Would he be able to meet with her for lunch? April forced last night's discussion from her mind; it no longer mattered. Her destiny was already planned.

"Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?" Jackson asked as they left the resident's lounge.

"Hmmm," April mused thoughtfully and took a sip of her coffee. "Why don't we stay in tonight? We'll cook dinner together and snuggle on the couch with a movie."

"That sounds great," Jackson grinned as the elevator doors slid open. "Going up?"

"No, I have to check in with Dr. Hunt in the pit," April lied, ducking into the elevator to give Jackson a quick kiss.

Jackson lingered the kiss, catching the elevator door when it attempted to close. "See you at lunch," he breathed when they parted.

"Yeah," April murmured back, touching her lips. Maybe it was the vampire thing, but Jackson's kisses nearly made her dizzy. As soon as the elevator doors, April's eyes darted to the numbers, watching as the elevator moved to the third floor. April turned, dashing towards the stairwell and running to the pit. Yes, April was going to the pit, but she wasn't going to meet Dr. Hunt. April skidded to a halt as soon as she entered the quiet pit; the pit was always quiet in the mornings. Things didn't usually pick up until after lunch. It was filled with your typical stomach virus, migraines, and frequent fliers at this hour. April scanned the room, spotting the woman easily. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and marched up to the attending. "I need to speak to you."

Catherine's eyes flicked over April as she wrote out an order for morphine. "Go ahead."

April pursed her lips. "Can we go someplace where no one can hear?"

Catherine scanned the area, seeing that the nurses were tending to patients. "I'm listening, dear."

April put her hand on Catherine's forearm, causing the vampire to look at her. "Where no one can hear," she stressed each word, holding Catherine's gaze.

Catherine nodded shortly, realizing what April was asking. The young woman didn't want vampire ears hearing what she had to say. "Dr. Grey, I'm going to step out for a few minutes," Catherine spoke to the resident. "Can you handle the pit while I'm gone?"

"Yes, Dr. Avery," Dr. Grey replied eagerly. "Thank you for the opportunity."

Catherine ignored the resident and turned her eyes to April. "Follow me." Catherine turned, leaving the pit behind as she headed towards the parking garage. "Relax," she ordered as she heard April's heart begin to pound. "He will hear that." Catherine listened intently as April took a deep breath and her heart slowly returned to a normal rhythm. "Very good." Minutes later Catherine approached her black SUV and opened the passenger door. "Get in."

April's heart began to pound again as Catherine climbed into the driver's seat and the two pulled from the garage. "I just wanted to..."

"Not yet," Catherine cut her off. "I'll tell you when."

A small part of April began to feel guilty at what she was doing. She was purposely going against Jackson's wishes. It felt dirty to use his family against him. April shook the thoughts from her mind, refusing to let them take root. No! If anything, Jackson had driven her to this by refusing to give her what she wanted. She wasn't a child; she was fully able to take control of her future.

Catherine remained quiet until they were twenty miles outside of the city. Whatever had caused April to come to her...it wasn't good. Catherine was making sure that Jackson would not hear them. After putting the SUV into park, Catherine turned to face the human. "What is it?"

April felt her throat tighten as her mind flitted back to the night before-the heated discussion and Jackson's refusal to give her forever with him. "Last night," she choked out, tears filling her eyes. She wiped her eyes stubbornly and took a breath. "Last night..."

Catherine watched as the woman attempted repeatedly to get the words out. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," April spoke quickly, shaking her head. "He...he..." April began to cry as the truth tumbled from her lips in bits and pieces. She told the vampire mother everything-her love for Jackson, how long she'd thought about being a vampire, and her decision to become one. April cried harder as she told the story of talking to Jackson, Jackson's refusal to change her, and his reasons to not change her.

Catherine felt sympathy move through her as the woman sobbed in front of her. It was clear that Jackson had hurt her deeply. "I'm sorry, April," she spoke sincerely, reaching out and resting her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Jackson hates being a vampire. I'm not surprised that he doesn't want that for you."

April turned big eyes to Catherine. "I want you to do it."

Catherine recoiled her hand quickly. "No," she said simply and climbed out of the vehicle.

April barreled from the SUV. "Catherine, you have to!"

"No!" Catherine raised her voice, spinning to face the human. Her relationship with Jackson was already damaged enough! She damn sure wouldn't drive her son away even further!

"I've thought all of this through!" April pleaded. "I have it all planned out if you will just _listen_ to me!" April's eyes snapped fire as Catherine turned her back on her. "I'm tired of you vampires not listening to me!" she exploded. "I may not be all knowing and all immortal and able to move fast, but I have a brain, damnit!"

Catherine smirked as the human went into her emotion-filled tirade. She leaned against the SUV and crossed her arms. "Tell me your plans." Not that Catherine planned to go along with April's desire; she just wanted to see if the woman had truly thought things through.

April took a shaky breath to calm herself. "I'm twenty-eight years old," she began, her voice waivering. "Jackson's...human age is twenty eight. In two years, I'll finish my residency, take my boards, and hopefully become an attending." She felt herself calm down as she put her plans into words. "I will be thirty, two years older than Jackson is now. After I pass my boards, I want to become a vampire." April looked to the ground before returning her gaze to Catherine's. "I don't want to grow much older than Jackson."

Catherine nodded slowly, able to understand the woman's logic. "Why are you so determined to become a vampire?"

"I love him," April replied immediately. "I love Jackson more than I've ever loved anyone before. I believe in soulmates, and I believe Jackson is mine. I felt it the moment I met him. I've gone over it again and again in my head, trying to be practical, but...there was this unworldly chemistry when I met him. I know that he's my soulmate, and I want to spend eternity with him."

"Eternity is a long time," Catherine pointed out.

"I know," April replied softly. "If I don't become a vampire, then I'll die. Fine, I'll be out of it. But Jackson..." April felt herself choke up. "Jackson will spend eternity without me. I don't want that for him, Catherine! I don't want him to live eternity alone!"

Catherine blinked and looked away from the human. "If Jackson doesn't want to change you..."

"He wants to protect me," April interrupted. "He thinks it's a curse, and he doesn't want that for me." Catherine hummed and nodded. "He is throwing out everything negative to change my mind, but my mind won't be changed!" April insisted. "Jackson doesn't understand that I've thoroughly thought about this!" April took a breath. "Jackson hasn't thought about me being a seventy year old woman with dementia! He hasn't thought about having to clean me up when I can't even hold my water! What if I get Alzheimer's and _forget_ him?! Forget what we had? He's the one that will suffer! And all he has to do is change me! If he would change me, then we could be together forever! Neither of us would have to suffer!"

Catherine looked down. It was clear to her that April had truly considered everything. April had imagined her aging life without Jackson; she'd even factored in the decline of her own health. And more importantly, April was thinking of Jackson being the one left behind. Jackson would be the one left to live without his mate. Jackson's life would end the moment April took her last breath; he'd simply be an empty shell going through the motions of existing. "You told him all of this?" April nodded. "And he still will not change you?" Again, April nodded.

Catherine took a deep breath and turned away from the human as she began to pace the deserted road. Catherine was not surprised that Jackson would not change April; he never cared for being a vampire. Jackson always told her he saw it as a curse, and he would never put that curse onto another human being. It wasn't unlike Jackson to play the martyr and refuse to change April, despite his love for her.

Catherine continued to pace as she considered granting the woman's request. Jackson would be angry with her, that was for certain. But really, what could he do once April was changed? Would he honestly refuse to be with her because she was an immortal? No, even Jackson wasn't that strong. Jackson might hate that April was like him, but at least he could finally be happy. Jackson's happiness was most important.

This was one of those situations where mother truly knew best.

"Alright," Catherine agreed, turning to face April.

April rocked back, clearly shocked. "A-Alright?" she clarified. "You'll do it?"

"Yes," Catherine nodded. "In two years I will change you myself. But," she warned, stepping closer to the human, "once it's done, there is no going back. If you change your mind, you better tell me."

"Of course," April breathed, relaxing. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around the vampire.

Catherine tensed at first, but hugged April back in return. "Welcome to the family."


	7. Chapter 7 - Only Human

Chapter 7 - Only Human

Early Saturday morning, one month later, Jackson awoke to a delicious smell wafting into his bedroom. His stomach growled on impulse, which was rare for him. Since becoming a vampire, Jackson rarely craved human food. Sure, he could eat it, but food very rarely appealed to him. He was a blood drinker now; the only thing he truly desired was blood. Food was an after-thought, something to keep up the appearance of being human. On this morning, however, Jackson actually desired the food that was being prepared in the kitchen. He climbed from bed and inhaled deeply. French toast, unmistakable.

After dressing, Jackson descended the stairs and moved towards the kitchen. "You haven't cooked french toast in years," he remarked, then stopped. "What a pleasant surprise," he smiled instinctively.

"Good morning," April smiled over her shoulder, turning to take Jackson in. It must be nice to roll out of the bed and instantly be gorgeous. She felt her cheeks redden at her thoughts as she turned back to the stove.

"Who let you in?" Jackson asked, scanning the kitchen.

"I did," Catherine called from the living room as she entered the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast bar. "April wanted to cook breakfast this morning. She's very convincing."

"Yes, she is," Jackson smiled, moving behind April and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Good morning," he planted a kissed to her cheek.

"Good morning," April smiled back and passed him a glass filled with dark liquid. "This should hold you over until I finish."

Jackson's brows knit together as his eyes settled on the glass of blood in his hand. "I know what you're doing," he stated and moved to the kitchen table.

"Yes, I'm cooking breakfast," April replied innocently and motioned to the skillet on the stove.

"That's not it," Jackson shook his head and held up the glass of blood. "You're trying to show me that you're okay with this." He brought the glass to his lips and took a drink.

"I _am_ okay with it," April sighed with exasperation.

"I'm not changing you."

"Fine," she frowned in return. "Then watch me die."

"April," Jackson sighed her name.

"Jackson," April replied, turning to face him. "I'm not arguing about this anymore, okay? I'm not going to spend my life arguing with you. You've made it clear that you won't change me. Fine, I accept that." She turned back to the skillet and flipped the french toast. "It's going to be harder for you anyway. If you're willing to take that on yourself, so be it."

Jackson pursed his lips and looked down to the glass in his hand. He wasn't sure what to make of April's stance. A month ago she had cried in his arms because he wouldn't change her. Now...now she seemed perfectly fine with not being changed. April no longer asked him to change her; she simply pointed out that he would be the one left without her. Jackson wasn't buying it. He loved the human to death, but something in his core was telling him that there was a reason April was so calm about his decision now. He would get to the bottom of it.

Catherine sat at the breakfast bar, pretending to read the latest issue of Cosmo, as her son and his girlfriend bickered. Catherine knew now more than ever that she had made the right decision in agreeing to change April. Yes, it was going behind her son's back and betraying him, but...Catherine could not allow Jackson to become Nathanial. Nathanial had refused to change Lily, and now he was the loneliest, most unhappy being that walked the earth. Catherine couldn't allow Jackson to live the rest of eternity the way that Nathanial did. Imagining Jackson so unhappy was almost too much for Catherine to bear. She had already doomed her son to living this existence, to being a vampire, but she wouldn't let him live without his mate!

Jackson was happy when he was with April, Catherine could clearly see that. Her son had rarely been happy since the night of his accident, since the night she changed him into a vampire. Jackson had spent years regretting the change, hating what he had become. But ever since April walked into his life, Jackson was different. Jackson had truly taken on life again. April was good for him, and she would spend all of eternity with him. Catherine would see to that.

"How many pieces would you like?" April chirped as she pulled some plates from the cabinet.

"Three will be fine," Jackson replied, taking her in. April was such a beautiful person, inside and out. He felt himself fall more and more in love with her.

"Would you like sausage and eggs or anything?" April asked as she put three pieces onto a plate and drizzled syrup over the toast.

"No, this is perfect," Jackson replied as April brought the plate to him, setting it in front of him. He caught her hand, twining his fingers with hers. "Thank you."

April held his gaze, getting more and more flustered as she got lost in his depths. "You're welcome," she whispered, shaking herself from Jackson's spell. "Catherine, would you like a plate?" she asked, forcing herself to look away from Jackson.

Catherine jarred, clearly surprised by April's gesture. "I would like that," she finally smiled at the human. "Two pieces will be plenty."

"Is Nathanial coming by?" April asked as she made Catherine's plate and poured the vampire a glass of blood as well. "Does he like french toast?"

"Nathanial is checking in with Matthew," Catherine replied as April set the plate and glass in front of her. "He won't be back for a few days."

"Oh, okay," April murmured and made herself a plate, then sat across from Jackson. "How is it?"

"Amazing," Jackson replied and smiled. "However, I wonder if you have any ulterior motives."

"I do," April smiled sweetly. "I'm buttering you up with an awesome breakfast before I torment you."

"Torment me?" Jackson asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't see any wooden stakes around here." April laughed nervously, his statement having the desired effect on her. Jackson had to remind April that being a vampire wasn't all about love and eternity. There was a dark side to being a creature of the night.

April cleared her throat and took a sip of orange juice. "No stakes," she countered as brightly as possible. "There's a carnival in Boren Park this weekend. Games, face painting, food, and there's even a ferris wheel! It's the ultimate fun for us humans. You'll hate it."

Jackson chuckled and shook his head. "As long as I'm with you, I won't hate it."

April smiled softly at him and took his hand, squeezing gently. "I know you haven't had a human experience in a long time," she spoke quietly. "I just thought I'd treat you to a day of being human."

Jackson looked to her affectionately. April was such a wonderful, kind, loving person. "It's going to be a wonderful day."

Catherine blinked multiple times before clearing her throat and standing. "It sounds like you two have a busy day ahead," she spoke brightly. "I'll clean up here so you can be on your way."

"I won't dare leave this mess for you!" April gasped.

"It's fine, dear," Catherine assured her. "I'll have it cleaned up in less than two minutes."

April's mouth dropped. "No way." Catherine gave her a smug smile before moving about the kitchen at her normal speed, not the slow human speed that she and Jackson portrayed. "Wow," April breathed as the kitchen became spotless before her eyes. She wasn't quite sure how it happened.

"Stop appealing to her," Jackson frowned as he finished his breakfast and cleaned the dishes.

April frowned as Catherine zipped from the kitchen. "Why do you _say_ those things to her?!" she exclaimed, moving to her feet. "Stop punishing her for saving you!"

Jackson matched April's frown. "She didn't save me, April! She cursed me."

"I'm glad she did!" April exploded, throwing her hands up. "If she didn't change you, I never would have met you, Jackson! Have you ever thought about that?!" April ran her hand through her hair before crossing her arms over her chest. "Now that I've met you...I can't imagine my life without you in it...I'm glad Catherine saved you."

Jackson sighed heavily and gathered April in his arms, placing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm glad I was able to meet you."

April's arms wrapped around his waist and she pressed her cheek to his chest, inhaling deeply. "You've got to let this anger towards her go, Jackson," she spoke softly into his chest. "I would have done the same thing."

"That's where we're different," Jackson said simply and hugged her against him. "Are we ready to go?"

"Let me grab my jacket," April replied, feeling defeated. No matter what, Jackson was not going to change his mind. She wished that he would, but April was okay that he didn't-she had a plan B. "I am still a human that gets cold, you know."

"I know," Jackson smiled as they walked through the house and April plucked her jacket from the coat rack.

Half an hour later Jackson parked his car in the general parking on the outskirts of the carnival. "I wish we could have parked closer," he grumbled as they climbed from his car.

"We can," April teased, skipping over to his side and taking his hand. "Just pick up one of those cars and toss it in the lake."

"This is a human date, right?" Jackson chuckled. "No vamping out, remember?"

"You said vamping!" April giggled, leaning her head onto his shoulder as they walked towards the carnival.

Jackson laughed and wrapped his arm around her, holding her against him securely. "You know, I've never been to one of these," he remarked as they neared the multi-colored tents.

"You've just been all over the world," April teased. "Face painting!" she gasped, pointing to a tent. "We have to get our faces painted!"

Jackson laughed again as April tugged him towards the tent. "I can't believe we're doing this," he said as April plopped down on the wooden stool and requested a butterfly on her left cheek. He watched in awe as the carnival worker painted a perfect, purple butterfly on April's cheek.

"How do I look?" April asked and hopped up from the stool.

"Gorgeous," Jackson smiled.

"Your turn!"

"What would you like, sir?" the worker asked as she rinsed the paint brush. The woman smiled as Jackson lowered his voice. "I'm sure I can do that."

"What did you get?!" April asked as the woman dipped the brush into black paint.

"You'll see," Jackson grinned.

April watched intently as the woman slowly painted 'JA + AK' onto Jackson's cheek. "Awwww," she sighed when Jackson paid the woman. "You've been branded," she teased as she took his hand and they left the face painting tent.

"I don't mind it a bit."

April bit her lip and glanced to Jackson. "Jackson," she spoke his name seriously as they walked. "Do you believe in soulmates?"

Jackson looked over to her, watching the wind blow her hair. "I didn't used to," he replied and looked ahead again. "I never believed in them before I was changed. I thought it was a silly idea to sell movie tickets. After I was changed, and learned the history of our kind...mates are very important in vampires."

"Really?" April whispered, looking up to him.

"Yes," Jackson nodded, glancing down to her. "Each of us has a mate, someone we're meant to spend eternity with..._if_ we're lucky enough to find them."

"Have you found yours?" she asked, her voice cracking.

Jackson stopped walking and turned to face April. "I have," he answered and tucked her hair behind her ear.

April felt the tears spring to her eyes and she nodded and looked to the ground. She didn't even have to ask Jackson if she was his mate; she knew that she was. A small part of April wanted to get angry with him; if Jackson knew that she was his mate, why in the world did he refuse to change her?! "I believe in soulmates too," she finally spoke quietly and looked back to him. "And I've found mine."

Jackson leaned in, kissing her tenderly before they began walking again. "A two-headed snake?" he asked skeptically as they passed one of the sideshows.

"I hate snakes," April shivered.

"I think most women do," Jackson teased.

"Not Alice," April shook her head. "She played with the king snakes all the time."

"Did she chase you with them?" Jackson laughed.

"Of course, the little jerk," April giggled. "Oohhh, milk bottles!" she exclaimed and tugged Jackson towards the tent. "This is a classic carnival game! You've got to try it, Jackson!"

"So what do I do?" Jackson asked as April gave the attendant a dollar and passed Jackson three balls.

"Throw the balls and try to knock down that stack of milk bottles," April answered. "You've got to him them just right or you'll lose."

Jackson threw the ball and knocked down the entire pyramid. "Look at that, I win."

The attendant's mouth dropped. "C-Congratulations, s-sir!" he stuttered, bewildered. No one had ever knocked down the pyramid of bottles in the first throw. "Pick your prize."

"Which one would you like?" Jackson asked, motioning to the array of stuffed animals.

"That one!" April smiled and pointed to a plush pink pig. "Jackson," she whispered after looping her arm with his. "You can't do that."

"Do what?" Jackson asked as she lead him away from the game booth.

"You totally vamped out there!" April exclaimed. "Did you see the look on that guy's face? It's humanly impossible to knock down the pyramid in one throw!"

"But I'm not human," Jackson smirked.

"You've got to _act_ human," April laughed.

"Do you want to give him the pig back then?"

"No!" she exclaimed and clutched the pig to her side. "I love this pig."

Jackson laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Okay, I promise, no more vamping out." He sighed dramatically. "You're right, I'm going to hate this."

April laughed as they approached another game booth. "I'm good at this one!" she exclaimed and bounced up and down.

"It's not pool, is it?" Jackson teased and reached into his wallet, pulling out a few bills. "How many throws would you like?"

"Six," April answered and thrust the pig into Jackson's arms. "I'm great at balloon darts!" April plucked the darts from the attendant's hand and began throwing them at the balloons.

"Five out of six," the attendant announced minutes later. "If you pop one more, you can choose from our second level prize box."

April paid the attendant another dollar and popped two more balloons. "Told you!" she grinned at Jackson before peering into the box of prizes. "Oohh, I'll take this," she said and snapped up a red bracelet.

"What did you get?" Jackson asked as he returned the pink pig to her arms.

"Something for you," April blushed and slid the red silicone bracelet onto Jackson's wrist.

"Love," Jackson read, looking down to his wrist.

"Because I love you," April smiled and leaned up, placing a soft kiss to his lips. "Never take it off," she whispered when they parted.

Jackson held her gaze, knowing what she was really saying to him. After she was gone, April wanted him to continue wearing the bracelet so that he would know she always loved him, even in her death. "I won't," he whispered back, kissing her forehead.

Jackson and April continued through the booths, playing several more games, checking out strange freak shows, and taking pictures together in the photobooth. Jackson put the two photo strips in his wallet for safe keeping until April could take hers home. "We need to find the food," he said a couple of hours later when April's stomach rumbled.

April stopped dramatically and inhaled deeply. "There's funnel cake here!" she exclaimed. "We have to find it!"

"You like funnel cake?" Jackson laughed as she tugged him along.

"It's my favorite carnival food," April raved. "What's your favorite carnival food?"

Jackson shrugged. "We didn't do carnivals in my time," he reminded her.

April's eyes widened. "Then you have to try everything!"

Jackson laughed again as April tugged him to multiple food booths, insisting that he try the funnel cake, nachos, and deep fried twinkies. They sat at a picnic table and shared the fried treats, talking about everything under the sun. The time was precious to him, and Jackson knew it was one of the things he would remember after April was gone.

"Doesn't human life suck?" April asked as she took a sip of her lemonade.

"Actually, this is pretty awesome," Jackson chuckled and finished his twinkie. "Why would you want to be a vampire when you can have all of this?"

"Because all of this," April whispered, touching his chest, "means more to me than all of this." She motioned to the carnival around them and looked back to him.

Jackson gripped her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her fingertips gently. "I love you enough for you to have one amazing life. Not a few amazing moments in an existence."

April traced his lips with her fingers, tempted to tell Jackson that she knew of two other vampires who would gladly help her. However, she wasn't ready for world war three to break loose, so she kept her tongue. "Do you know what I've always wanted to do?" she whispered.

"What?" Jackson asked softly as her hand cupped his cheek.

"Kiss at the top of the ferris wheel."

Jackson smiled softly. "I can arrange that."

"At night," April tacked on and giggled.

Jackson laughed. "I guess we'll just _have_ to stay here a few more hours," he sighed dramatically and tickled her sides.

Jackson and April spent the next couple of hours falling more and more in love with each other, if possible. They walked, played games, and April babbled about her family, her sisters, and what lead her to becoming a surgeon. Jackson ate up every single detail and craved more. He wanted to know every little thing about his soulmate. "It will be dark soon," he observed as the sun set.

"We should head towards that ferris wheel then," April grinned and clutched the stuffed pig to her chest. She captured Jackson's hand as they started back towards the ferris wheel. "Fish bowl!" she exclaimed, pointing to a booth that they'd managed to miss during one of their talks.

"You want a fish?" Jackson asked as they moved towards the game. "Pet stores have them, you know?"

"But not like carnival fish," April replied. "Oohhh, look at that one!" she exclaimed and motioned to a blue betta in one of the back bowls. "Isn't that one gorgeous?!"

"How many chances do you want?" Jackson asked and retrieved his wallet.

"Ten should do it," April decided as the attendant passed her the ping pong balls.

Thirty dollars later, April still didn't have the fish. "I suck!" she exclaimed in frustration as the last ball bounced off the side of the bowl. She bit her lip and leaned in close to Jackson. "Can you vamp on this one?" she whispered.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Jackson exclaimed, handed the attendant another dollar, and sank the ping pong ball into the bowl. April squealed happily as the attendant scooped her fish into a bag, tied it up, and handed it to her. "What are you going to name it?"

"I'm not sure," April mused and gazed at the fish. "Oh my gosh! I have to get an aquarium! And plants! And food!"

"We'll stop at the pet store before I take you home," Jackson chuckled and kissed her temple.

April smiled up at him before she gazed to the sky. "Thank you for today, Jackson," she said softly as they continued towards the ferris wheel. "I know it probably sucked to limit yourself, but I loved it."

Jackson looked over to her. "Today has been the best day of my life."

April's head snapped up. "Your life?" she questioned.

"My life," Jackson whispered.

April ducked her head and blinked back tears. This was the first time Jackson had referenced a 'life.' It was always his 'existence' but never his 'life.' "That means a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me," Jackson replied as they neared the ferris wheel.

"We've got room for you, if you hurry," the attendant called and motioned to the last empty seat.

Jackson and April jogged to the ferris wheel and climbed into the seat before the wheel was set into motion. "This is beautiful!" April gasped as they moved through the air.

Jackson smiled over to her. "If you think this is good, I'll have to take you to the Seattle Great Wheel. It's one of the biggest ferris wheels in the country."

April gasped. "Could we really go, Jackson?!"

"Of course," he smiled. "We'll go on a vampire date sometime."

"That sounds wonderful," April giggled and snuggled into his side, carefully holding her fish in her lap.

The lovers talked quietly as the ferris wheel spun slowly, giving them a gorgeous view of the park. When they reached the top, Jackson leaned over, cupped April's cheek, and kissed her softly. In that moment, he not only knew that April was his mate, but that she was also meant to be his wife.


	8. Chapter 8 - Darkness Enters

Chapter 8 - Darkness Enters

"Good morning, Nathanial," Jackson greeted one Wednesday morning as he zipped into the kitchen. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to meet April before rounds." Jackson glanced to Nathanial and stopped short. The older vampire was sitting at the bar with an amused expression on his face. "Nathanial?"

"I heard you," Nathanial replied quietly, then chuckled aloud and shook his head.

"Oh, Nathanial, good morning," Catherine greeted as she breezed into the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?"

Jackson raised his eyebrows as Nathanial waved off Catherine's gesture. "I thought you said Nathanial wasn't a drinker," he whispered to his mother.

Catherine swatted her son's shoulder and scowled. "Jackson! Do not speak of him that way!"

"He's drunk!" Jackson exclaimed and motioned to the vampire.

"I am not drunk," Nathanial stated, the amused expression remaining on his face.

Catherine studied him for a moment. "You saw Matthew, didn't you?"

"I did."

Jackson's brows knit together. "Well, you must have killed the bastard, because you're entirely too happy!"

"Jackson!" Catherine scolded. "Nathanial," she said, her voice filled with concern, "did you hurt the boy?"

"No," Nathanial shook his head, looking to the Avery family. "I can honestly say I did not. Fate had a way of handling that for me."

"Well, spit it out, because we're not getting it," Jackson snapped, becoming annoyed.

"Is Matthew alright?" Catherine asked timidly, clasping her hands together.

Nathanial chuckled and laced his fingers. "Matthew will not be returning. He refuses to leave Europe."

"Awesome," Jackson grinned.

Catherine frowned over at her son before looking back to the vampire who changed her. "You will not let him return? Hasn't he spent enough time away from his home?"

A slow smile crept onto Nathanial's face. "Matthew refuses to leave Europe because he has fallen in love." He paused, another chuckle rocking his frame. "With a vampire."

Jackson's mouth dropped. "Matthew, vampire hating, ratted me out to April, Matthew has fallen in love with a vampire?"

"Yes," Nathanial grinned.

Catherine scowled at her son as he doubled over in laughter. "Are you sure he has fallen for a vampire?"

"Yes," Nathanial nodded and propped his elbows onto the breakfast bar. "Do you remember twenty years ago when we spent the summer in Prague?"

"We stayed with the Foxwood clan, right?" Catherine mused after pondering his question for a moment.

"Yes, the Foxwoods," Nathanial nodded. "It seems that their youngest, Carolynn, has captured poor Matthew's heart."

"And he _knows_ she's a vampire?" Jackson managed to get out through laughter.

"Oh yes, he knows," Nathanial smirked.

"Oh, this is great," Jackson chuckled, forcing himself to gain control. "No, not great. This is classic. This is epic!" He downed a small glass of blood and clapped Nathanial on the shoulder. "You've made my day, man. No, my week! Hell, you've made my entire month!"

Jackson continued to chuckle as he drove to the hospital. It served Matthew right! Matthew had made Jackson's time in Seattle hell, and the EMT had nearly cost him April. Plus, Jackson had never been so close to killing someone as he was with Matthew. Something about the guy had gotten under his skin. Fate had certainly settled the score between the two. The irony of Matthew falling for a vampire was almost too much for Jackson to stand.

"Wow, you look happy," April smiled as Jackson entered the resident's lounge.

"I'm always happy when I get to see you," Jackson grinned and kissed her softly. "Oh, Matthew says hello."

"When's he coming back?" April asked as she wiggled into her lab coat and hung her stethoscope around her neck.

"He's not," Jackson smirked. "Some European lady has won his heart."

"Awww, that's sweet," April smiled as she passed Jackson a sausage biscuit. "He deserves to be happy."

"He deserves exactly what he's gotten," Jackson grinned before taking a bite.

"Who are you working with today?" April asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Plastics with Sloan," Jackson replied. "What about you?"

"I'm with Dr. Shepherd," April grinned. "And, he's getting a tumor today. It's a woman who has had cancer for a few years, but now it's metastasized to her brain."

Jackson made a face. "That's not good. Can Shepherd get it?"

"He seems to think so," April replied and finished her biscuit, swallowing it down with the rest of her coffee. "I hate to run out on you, but I need to go check in with Alison before her surgery." She leaned down and placed a kiss to Jackson's cheek. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

"Have a good surgery!"

April smiled to herself and hurried from the lounge, taking the stairs to the third floor. "Good morning, Debbie," she greeted the charge nurse as she approached the nurse's station. "May I see Alison Clark's chart, please?"

"We just made rounds on her," Debbie reported as she passed the resident the chart. "Her vitals are stable, and she's been NPO since midnight."

"Good, " April nodded as she skimmed through Alison's medication list. "Has her Coumadin been on hold?"

"Yes, for one week," Debbie answered.

"Perfect, thank you," April said and returned the chart to the chart rack. She moved down the hall and knocked on the open door. "Mr. and Mrs. Clark, good morning," she greeted brightly.

"Good morning," a woman in her early forties greeted from the hospital bed. "Please, call me Alison. Mrs. Clark makes me sound so old."

"Very well, Alison," April smiled. "My name is Dr. Kepner, and I'll be the resident on your case today. We'll be taking you down to surgery shortly. I just wanted to see if you have any questions before your surgery?"

"She's going to be fine, right?" Mr. Clark asked desperately as he clasped his wife's hand.

April's expression softened as she looked to him with compassion. The poor man looked like he hadn't slept in a week. "There are complications with every surgery," she advised, "and anything can happen when we get into the OR. But Dr. Shepherd is very good, and he is very optimistic about this surgery."

"Optimistic?" Mr. Clark asked. "Your best answer is optimistic?"

"Well, uh, ummm," April stuttered.

"Gary," Alison spoke softly, looking over to her husband. "I have been battling this cancer for three years. Every time I go into a surgery...there's no guarantee I'm coming back out. We both know this. Please, stop scaring the girl."

"I'm sorry," Gary mumbled and looked to the floor.

"It's okay," April assured him. "We'll call you with updates during the surgery, and we'll monitor your wife very closely after surgery." She watched as the man nodded, but said nothing. "I'll give you some time to talk before surgery."

"Thank you, Dr. Kepner," Alison called as April left the room.

April checked in on Dr. Shepherd's other patients, but her mind kept roaming to Alison. That poor woman! To fight cancer for three years, and it still metastasized to her brain? How terrible! April hated cancer. Hated it with every fiber of her being. Cancer not only ended lives, but also destroyed families. "O-Oh, Dr. Shepherd," April jarred from her thoughts as Derek entered the stairwell and bumped into her. "I've checked on all of your patients. Mrs. Clark's vitals are stable, she's been NPO, and her Coumadin has been held. She's ready to go."

"Good work, Dr. Kepner," Derek grinned. "Dr. Webber told me you were the one to pick today."

April's mouth dropped. "D-Dr. Webber referred me?"

"Yes," Derek nodded. "He says you're the most promising resident from the Mercy West bunch. See you in the OR."

April stood stunned for a moment before jarring to life and hurrying to scrub in. She forced herself to reign in her excitement; a woman's life was about to be on that operating table. April had to remain focused!

"Damnit!" Derek cursed an hour later. "She's hemorrhaging. Dr. Kepner, suction!" April reacted quickly, but the damage was already done. Derek scrambled and hurried, doing everything in his power to save her, but it wasn't enough. The tumor caused Alison's brain to bleed, and she slipped into a coma right under Derek's hands. Just as they were preparing to transfer her to recovery, Alison coded.

Alison entered that OR alive and well, but she left on life support.

April was in a state of shock as she washed up after the catastrophe occurred in the OR. She looked over to Derek who was white as a ghost. "She might pull out of this," she offered quietly.

"She won't pull out of that," Derek replied in a monotone voice. "The tumor combined with the bleeding and the lack of oxygen to her brain...she's brain dead, Dr. Kepner."

"We don't know for sure," April whispered.

Derek met her eyes. "She is brain dead, Dr. Kepner."

April nodded slowly and ducked her head. Derek had done this for many years, and he knew the signs. "I will tell her husband."

"I can do it," Derek replied as he rinsed his hands and grabbed some paper towels.

April reached over and timidly set her hand on his shoulder. "You've had a rough morning," she spoke gently. "I'll tell him."

"Dr. Kepner, I'm capable of informing the patient's spouse," Derek replied stubbornly.

"I know you are, Dr. Shepherd, but I need the experience." April watched as Derek finally relented and nodded. April took deep breath, squared her shoulders, and left the OR. Her steps pounded in her ears as she walked to ICU. Poor Mr. Clark!

Gary looked up from his wife's bed as a shadow crossed the doorway. "Dr. Kepner!" he exclaimed, tears in his eyes. "What is all of this? Why are we here? What's happened to my wife?!"

April took a deep breath and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "There was a complication during surgery, Mr. Clark," she began, forcing all emotion from her tone. "As Dr. Shepherd was removing the tumor, Alison's brain began to bleed. We tried to stop the bleeding, but Alison slipped into a coma while on the table." She blinked tears from her eyes as the man crumbled into the chair beside Alison's bed. "As we were preparing to bring her to the ICU, Alison coded. Her heart stopped beating. We were able to resuscitate her, but her body had been through so much...and with her history of cancer..." April stopped talking and took a breath as the man began to cry. "Alison is now on life support."

Gary buried his face into his hands. "There's nothing you can do for her?"

"All we can do is wait," April offered quietly and crossed the room, sitting down in the chair beside the grieving husband. "I am so sorry."

Gary cast tear-filled eyes to his wife. "She can pull out of this though, right? Right?! She's not gone, she's not...not dead!"

April pursed her lips, not having the heart to even lie to the man. The odds of Alison coming off of life support were very slim, and if she did...she would have to go to a total care facility for the rest of her days. Gary's Alison was gone. "We will have to see how she progresses."

Gary clasped Alison's hand, begging her to open her eyes. He pleaded with her to fight and pull through; he couldn't survive without her. He loved her too much to continue without her. When his wife didn't respond, Gary put his head on her bed and cried.

April sat with him quietly; she didn't say anything, she just sat with him to be physical support for him. That was all that she could offer him.

"Dr. Kepner, you're free to leave," Derek said hours later as he appeared in the door of Alison's room. "I will sit with Mr. Clark now."

"Yes, sir," April whispered and left the room, casting a glance over her shoulder. Her heart truly went out to Gary Clark.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jackson asked as April joined him at lunch.

"Yeah, I'm fine," April shrugged. "My patient...she didn't do so well..."

"I heard," Jackson replied quietly. "I'm sorry, April."

"It's okay," April sighed, clasping her hands on the table. "She's been fighting this for years, and it just finally got the best of her..." She glanced up to Jackson. "I just feel horrible for her husband." She ran her hand through her hair. "Life is just so unpredictable! They came in here thinking everything was going to be fine, but now...now she's probably going to die."

Jackson reached out and took April's hand, squeezing it gently. "That's why you have to live each day to the fullest. You never know when it will be your last."

"It wouldn't have to be my last," April mumbled. "Ever."

"April," Jackson said her name, a warning to his tone.

April held up her hands defensively and looked up as the door to the cafeteria swung open. Derek walked in with Gary Clark, clearly encouraging him to get something to eat. April was barely able to catch pieces of the conversation; Derek was assuring Gary that they were monitoring Alison closely, and if anything happened, he would be the first to know. Derek was also encouraging him to keep his strength up.

"I don't like him."

"Jackson!" April exclaimed, scowling deeply. "That's Alison's husband!"

"I know," Jackson replied, his eyes narrowing. "I know he has a lot on his plate right now, and he's grieving, but...I don't like him."

"You don't even know him."

"I don't have to know him," Jackson glanced to her, then looked back to the older man at Derek's side. "I get a bad feeling from him."

"I thought vampires didn't have gifts," April replied, following Jackson's gaze.

"This isn't a gift thing, it's an instinct thing," Jackson stated. "I don't want you alone with him."

"His wife is my patient!"

"I don't care," Jackson frowned. "Keep your distance from him. Please."

April sighed heavily. "You had to go and say please," she rolled her eyes before placing a kiss to Jackson's mouth. "Fine, I'll be careful around him."

"Good," Jackson nodded and looked to his waistband as he pager blared. "That's Dr. Sloan, I have to go." He placed a quick peck to April's cheek. "I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too," April called and watched him leave. Her gaze shifted to Gary Clark. There wasn't anything wrong with that man; he was simply a grieving husband. Jackson didn't know what he was talking about.

* * *

"I just feel bad for him," April said later that evening as she pulled the baked potatoes from the oven.

"I know you do," Jackson nodded and he put a steak on each of their plates. "You have a good heart...it's one of the things I love about you." He placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm just asking that you be careful. Always have someone in the room when you're with him...an aid, a nurse, _someone_."

April's brows knit together as she placed a knife and fork on their plates and they moved to her dining table. "You know," she started, looking to Jackson, "Gary would do anything to save his wife...he loves her that much..."

Jackson sighed patiently. "April...don't turn this around to us." He clearly saw where this conversation was headed.

"I am going to turn this around to us," April frowned. "Gary would do anything to save his wife right now. _Anything_. And you, you have the chance to save me, but you won't!"

"I am saving you."

"You're not saving me!" April exclaimed, wrapping her hand around the dinner knife and moving to her feet. "You're taking the decision from me. I have the right to make my own choices!"

Jackson kept quiet, but watched as April began to pace the floor.

April looked to the knife in her hand and turned the blade towards her body. "What if I were to take this blade right now, and stab..." April blinked and realized the knife was no longer in her hand. Bewildered, she frantically looked around and spotted Jackson calmly sitting in the dining chair tossing the knife into the air and catching it. "You don't play fair," she sulked and dropped into the chair.

"Don't do that to me," Jackson said seriously, making eye contact with her. "Your death is going to be the hardest day of my life. I'm not planning to see it for another fifty years."

"Fine," April grumbled and split open the potato with her fork. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly as she saw the devastated look in Jackson's eyes. Jackson simply nodded and lay the knife on her napkin. Luckily for April, she had already made the decision about her life. Jackson would not watch her death in fifty years; he would watch her change in two.

* * *

Thirty days slowly ticked by. Time always seemed to race inside the walls of the hospital, but thirty days dragged by for April. Every morning for thirty days she checked in on Gary and Alison Clark, even if she wasn't assigned to Dr. Shepherd that day. Every morning, April realized that Alison was not getting any better. Every morning they were moving closer and closer to the day that Alison's life support would have to be disconnected.

Alison had taken care of all end-of-life-care paperwork when she was originally diagnosed with cancer. She was aware of the uphill battle ahead of her, and she knew that she would probably not come out on top of it. Alison was aware that the cancer would eventually take her. For Gary's sake, Alison requested to be on life support for thirty days. If her body showed no signs of life after thirty days, she wanted the machines to be turned off. Alison wanted to leave the earth peacefully.

"Hey," April spoke quietly as she joined Derek outside of Alison's room on the afternoon of the thirtieth day.

"You're not on my services today, Dr. Kepner," Derek spoke as he stared into the hospital room.

"I know," April replied. "I thought I should be here for this."

Derek nodded as he stared at the man who kept casting glares in their direction. "It's time."

"Is he prepared?" April questioned, glancing to the neurosurgeon.

"I informed him this morning," Derek replied, then glanced to his pager. "Damnit, nine-one-one on Mr. Carlson!"

"Go," April replied. "I'll disconnect the life support."

Derek hesitated. "Have you done that before?"

"Yes, at Mercy West," April answered. "If I have any problems, I'll notify Chief Webber."

Derek nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Kepner."

April took a slow, steady breath as Derek ran towards the stairwell and left the unit. She squared her shoulders and entered Alison's room. "Mr. Clark," she started.

"No!" Gary interrupted, clutching Alison's hand.

"Mr. Clark," April repeated calmly. "Alison's condition is showing no signs of improvement. It has been thirty days since her surgery. According to her living will and end-of-life request, I am required to disconnect her life support now."

"You're not going to murder my wife!" Gary yelled, glaring at April.

"Mr. Clark," April spoke softly, "your wife is gone. She has been gone since that day in the OR. This is simply her body that is being kept alive by our machines."

"No, no, no," Gary cried, clutching Alison's frame. "Alison, open your eyes," he begged. "You're here, I know you are, please, open your eyes!"

April blinked back tears as she slowly walked to the machine. "Mr. Clark!" she exclaimed as the man's hand wrapped around her wrist tightly.

"You're not murdering my wife!" he yelled, squeezing April's wrist.

"Mr. Clark, you're hurting me," April winced, trying to free herself from his grasp.

In one swift motion, Gary's hold was no longer encircling April, and the man was thrown across the room. "Do not touch her again," Jackson growled, his eyes snapping fire.

April blinked, taking a moment to realize what had happened. "Jackson, it's okay," she spoke, wrapping her hands around his waist and pulling him from the room. She felt Jackson resist her at first, but he eventually relaxed and allowed her to pull him outside of the door. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She cast a look back to the bewildered Gary Clark as he pushed himself up from the floor.

"If he touches you again," Jackson threatened, glaring at the man.

"He won't," April hissed as the unit nurse gave them a look. "I think you've scared the hell out of him."

"Good."

"I'm fine," she assured Jackson as Gary looked around, clearly confused as to what had just occurred.

"I'm not leaving until you're finished here."

"I didn't expect any less," April spoke softly and entered the room. "Mr. Clark, I am sorry, but it's time." April's legs shook at she walked over to the machine and flipped the switch. Gary didn't make a move to stop her this time. "I'm going to remove the tube from her throat that is helping her breathe," she informed him as she pulled on a pair of sterile gloves. April's hands trembled slightly as she removed the tube and discarded it in the trash can. "Now that the machine is no longer breathing for Alison, her heart rate and respirations will stop. It could take a few minutes or a few hours." She took a deep breath. "I will sit with you, if you want."

Gary eased into the chair beside Alison and shook his head. "No, you've done enough, Dr. Kepner."

April felt a sense of fear rake through her as the man gave her a menacing glare before looking back to his wife. She stumbled from the room and turned, Jackson's arms wrapping around her protectively. "Thank you," she whispered, clutching onto him tightly.

"I know that was hard for you," Jackson whispered as he smoothed his hand up and down her back.

"Thank you for being here," April murmured, pressing her cheek to his chest and inhaling his comforting scent.

"I'll always be here for you," Jackson promised.

April clutched him tighter. Yes, Jackson would always be there for her. He'd be there for her for all of eternity...he just didn't know it yet.


	9. Chapter 9 - Final Days

**A/N - Hello, this is Serendipity Cullen, aka, an over-anxious child who has completed Part II and can not wait to post it. The evil writer side of SC wants to make the readers wait, but the child side has been screaming POST IT, POST IT at her since last night. However, the evil writer side is making SC wait to post chapter 10. That is all.**

* * *

Chapter 9 - Final Days

"Good morning," April greeted brightly a few weeks later after skipping down the stairs from her apartment and joining Jackson in his truck. She leaned over and planted a gentle kiss to his mouth.

"Good morning," he grinned as he pulled away from her apartment complex. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"I am," April replied. "If I can just get through today and tomorrow, I'll have three days off. Three! I haven't had three days off in like...a year!"

"So what are you going to do with yourself?" Jackson chuckled as they maneuvered through Seattle traffic. April was so adorable.

"I don't even know," she admitted. "I might spend one day in bed with a marathon of chick flicks."

"Chick flicks, ugh," Jackson teased, reaching over and taking her hand.

"Yeah, yeah," April laughed and swatted his arm. "I know you hate them, so that's why you're not invited." She stuck her tongue out at him before giggling again.

Jackson smiled at her fondly and squeezed her hand gently. In that moment, he knew that it was time. It was time to do what he'd wanted to do for a while now. It was time to make things official. "What time are you finishing up today?" he asked casually as they slowed down at a red light.

"Dr. Bailey has a final surgery at two, I think," April replied, pulling out her phone and checking her schedule. "So probably somewhere around five, maybe six if we hit a complication. Why?"

Jackson glanced over to her. "Do you think you could be dressed by seven?"

"Depends," April replied coyly.

Jackson chuckled and brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing her hand tenderly. "I'd like to cash in that rain check for a vampire date." He watched as April smiled warmly; she didn't even blink at the word 'vampire' anymore. She was in full acceptance of what he was.

"That sounds like fun," April grinned. "Are you going to like, lift buildings and stuff?"

"Nothing that ostentatious," Jackson laughed, then grew serious. "Tonight is important. Very important."

April's breath caught in her throat as butterflies settled in her stomach. "Important?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Jackson nodded.

April bit her lip and focused on the road ahead of them as the hospital came into view. She knew that Jackson was against her becoming a vampire, but a small part of her wished that he had changed his mind. Yes, she had her plan B, but April truly longed for plan A-Jackson changing her. It was going to be an intimate thing, and April would much rather have Jackson biting her than Catherine. Not that she had any problems with Catherine, but Jackson was her soulmate...and he thought she was his mate. Why wouldn't she want her soul mate changing her? Why wouldn't he want to change his mate? Ugh, he was so frustrating sometimes. "I can be ready at seven."

"Good," Jackson smiled, seeing the hope in her eyes. He wasn't a gifted vampire, but he knew where her mind was going. She was hoping that he was going to change her himself. One day she would understand why he didn't want to end her life.

Luckily, Jackson and April made it through the work day without a hitch. April's last surgery with Dr. Bailey went according to plan, and April was dressed and waiting for Jackson by six forty-five.

April chewed her lip as she checked her purse. Jackson said tonight was important, so she dressed in a black lettuce-edge dress with heels. She hoped Jackson would warn her if she had overdone it! April jumped when Jackson knocked on her door. She smoothed her hands over her dress nervously before opening the door. "Hey," she spoke softly, her eyes roaming up and down his suit-clad form. Nope, she hadn't overdone it. Jackson looked _so_ good in his suit.

"Hey," Jackson greeted, stepping back and taking her in. "You're beautiful," he sighed.

"You said tonight was important," April reasoned as she checked her purse for her keys and closed the door behind her.

"Now I wish I said every date was important," Jackson teased as he took her hand and lead her towards his truck.

April managed to keep quite for a mere ten seconds. "So what's going on?" she blurted out, looking over to him.

Jackson chuckled and kissed her temple. "I'm proud of you," he smirked. "You managed to last all day without asking me that."

"It was very hard," April confessed as he helped her into the truck. "I've been thinking about it since this morning."

"You'll have to wait and see," Jackson replied as they left her apartment behind.

April sat nervously, toying with her hands. She wasn't sure why she was nervous, but she had this feeling that whatever Jackson had planned...it was going to change her life. In a big way. "Oh my gosh," she breathed as they neared the infamous space needle. "You're kidding!"

"Have you ever been here before?" Jackson asked.

"Five hundred and twenty feet in the air?" April breathed, her eyes roaming up the structure. "No, never."

"The view is amazing," Jackson smiled as he parked and zipped to her side of the truck. "I had to time it perfectly."

"Time it for what?" April asked, then let out a gasp as Jackson gathered her in his arms and whisked her to the top of the structure. "Oh wow..."

"Are you okay?" Jackson asked quietly as the elevator doors opened and the next group of visitors joined them on the deck.

"I'm fine," April smiled widely. "It's just...it's a rush!" She couldn't wait until she was able to do things like that! Two years...all she had to do was wait two more years...

Jackson's arms wrapped around her protectively as they lingered on the observation deck. "This is one of my favorite places in the whole world," he admitted quietly as April settled her hands on top of his arms.

"It's beautiful," April breathed as she leaned back against his chest. "I never even knew about this place," she admitted. "I mean, I knew that it was the symbol of Seattle, I just...I didn't know that you could actually come up here and get this amazing view. I thought it was just something you looked at."

Jackson smiled, placing a kiss to the top of her head. If she was happy now, she would be over joyed when he took her to the great wheel after dinner. "This is what life is about," he whispered against her hair. "Having moments like this."

April pursed her lips, refusing to let her views ruin this wonderful evening. "I could stay up here all day," she mused. "It's _so_ beautiful."

Jackson and April lingered on the observation deck, over looking the Seattle skyline as the sun set and darkness settled. April sighed as the city lights scattered the night sky. She didn't know what she had done to deserve such an amazing date, but she was glad that she had Jackson to share it with. "We have dinner reservations," Jackson said softly and placed a gentle kiss to her neck.

"Dinner too?" April asked, looking over to him.

"At the SkyCity restaurant," Jackson nodded over his shoulder.

"We're eating up here?!" April gasped, her eyes wide like a child's.

"We are," Jackson smiled, taking her hand and leading her to the restaurant. "Reservation for Avery," he told the hostess, who nodded and lead them to a table towards the back of the restaurant.

"A window seat," April breathed as her eye was immediately drawn to the city activity below them. "You are so wonderful!"

Jackson smiled. He was happy that he could give April memories that she would carry with her to her final days. And honestly, Jackson was making memories for himself as well. He'd traveled all over the world and visited beautiful cities, but...he didn't have his mate with him, so it meant nothing. Tonight...tonight was something special though. He knew that he would remember it for the rest of his existence.

Jackson and April talked intimately as they ate dinner and shared a bottle of wine. Jackson felt himself fall for April more and more as she talked, giggled, and tossed her hair over her shoulder. The love in his eyes was mirrored in hers, and it made him feel something he had never felt in his entire existence. For once, Jackson was thankful for being a vampire; being a vampire was the only way he came to know the wonderful woman sitting across from him.

"Tonight has been amazing," April breathed after Jackson whisked her from the space needle and set her on solid ground.

"It's not over yet," Jackson smirked as they reached his truck.

"What could you possibly have planned that could top that?" April motioned to the structure behind them.

"You'll see."

Minutes later April gasped as Jackson parked his truck near the biggest ferris wheel she had ever seen. "Oh my gosh," she breathed as her mouth dropped open.

"I told you we'd go," Jackson grinned as he climbed from the truck, zipped around, and opened the door for her.

April looked around, seeing that they were the only ones in the area. Her heart began to pound as her mind roamed. Dinner...the space needle...a vacant ferris wheel...was he going to... Instant tears sprang to her eyes at the thought.

"Hello, John," Jackson greeted as he approached a man in his early forties at the base of the ferris wheel.

"Hello, Jackson," John replied. "You picked a great night. Not a cloud in the sky. It will be a beautiful ride."

"Just remember what to do," Jackson whispered and slipped a few bills into the man's hand. "After you," he said and motioned to the gondola.

"This is unbelievable," April breathed as she eased into the leather bucket seat.

"Are you happy?" Jackson asked as he sat beside her.

"I am _so_ happy," April smiled and took his hand, twining her fingers with his. She gasped as the wheel began to turn slowly. "It's so beautiful."

Jackson sat quietly, listening to her soft gasps and squeals as they moved around for two turns. On the third turn, John stopped the ferris wheel when their gondola was at the very top. "It's okay," he assured her as April began to panic. "I said tonight was important."

"You did," April said quietly, her voice wavering.

Jackson took her hand as he inhaled deeply. "I know that you and I see our future differently, April. Despite our differences, there's one thing that we agree on...our love for each other."

"I love you so much," April whispered.

"I love you too," Jackson replied and smoothed his thumb across her cheek, catching a tear. "I want you to have the best human life possible...I want you to have everything that you desire...and I would like to spend each and every day with you. When I first saw you, I suspected that you were the one for me...but now, now I know for sure." He reached into the pocket inside his jacket and retrieved the black velvet ring box. April's hand flew to her mouth. "April, I want to spend the rest of your days making you the happiest woman in the world." Jackson opened the box carefully. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," April breathed, looking to him as tears streamed down her face. "Yes, a million times yes." She threw her arms around him and held him close.

Jackson smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. Today was the best day of his existence.

And it would be followed by the worst.

The next morning, April practically leapt into Jackson's arms as he picked her up for another day in the hospital. She smothered him in kisses as he carried her to his truck. "Now what has you so happy this morning?" he laughed as he eased her into the passenger seat.

"I'm marrying the most awesome guy in the world!" April exclaimed as she admired her ring finger. "I'm not shallow, Jackson, I swear, but would you look at this _rock_!" She showed him the two carat solitaire engagement ring as if he'd never seen it before. "It captures the light so beautifully," she gushed and wiggled her finger around. April took a deep breath. "I'm done being shallow now, I swear."

"You're not shallow," Jackson chuckled. "You're happy. There's a difference."

April grinned widely. "I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait to marry you either," Jackson smiled, taking her hand.

As soon as Jackson and April left the parking lot and neared the front door of the hospital, Catherine zipped outside. "Let me see!" she gushed, grabbing April's hand.

"You knew?" April laughed as Catherine admired her ring.

"Of course I knew," Catherine smiled and moved April's finger, catching twinkles of light off of the diamond. "Wonderful choice, Jackson."

"Thank you, Mom," Jackson replied quietly and gave her a sideways hug.

"Welcome to the family, April!" Catherine gushed and hugged her close. "I can't wait until it's official."

April gave the vampire mother a knowing look. "Neither can I, Catherine."

Catherine fought back a smirk and looked to her son and daughter to be. "When can I expect a wedding?"

"Soon," April smiled and looked up to Jackson. "I can't wait to make him my husband." She knew that it was the second time in less than an hour that she'd said that, but...April honestly couldn't wait to marry Jackson. She'd marry him now if she could!

"I can't wait to make you my wife," Jackson said and kissed her gently.

"Wonderful, wonderful," Catherine smiled and clapped her hands. "Hurry inside, dears. People are waiting."

"Who even knows?" Jackson questioned.

"Well, I told Reed last night," April admitted and bit her lip. "She must have told some of the others..."

"_Everyone_ knows," Catherine laughed with a wave of her hand. "I'll see you later. Maybe we could do dinner tonight?"

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked, watching as his mother walked towards her car.

"I'm going to Olympia to pick up a kidney for Richard," Catherine answered. "He has a transplant surgery for Mr. Harving in a few hours, but he was called to the OR for an emergency. I'll be back soon."

"Man!" April whined as Catherine got into her car and sped from the parking lot. "I've never gotten to harvest an organ before! I wish I could go with her."

"Oh no," Jackson chuckled, shaking his head. "Your public awaits."

April giggled as they twined fingers and entered the sliding doors of the hospital. "Is it wrong that part of me wants to tell Reed that I was kidding? You know, really freak her out?" she grinned as they neared the elevator. "Jackson?" she asked, noticing that Jackson's gaze was uncertain and focused on something ahead of them. "Nathanial?" April questioned after looking ahead and seeing the vampire lingering at the elevators. It was clear that he did not belong in the hospital.

"What's wrong?" Jackson cut to the chase as they joined Nathanial. "Next one," he waved off Alex Karev as the resident held the elevator for them.

Nathanial pursed his lips. "I do not know," he replied honestly after the elevator doors slid closed.

"Catherine isn't here," April said and motioned to the parking lot. "She is harvesting an organ for Chief Webber's surgery this afternoon."

Nathanial nodded slowly, looking around the hospital suspiciously. "I have a bad feeling."

Jackson's back stiffened. "A bad feeling?" he questioned.

"Yes," Nathanial nodded. "Something...something bad is going to happen here today."

April chewed her lip as panic moved through her core. The last time something bad happened at Seattle Grace was a few years ago when a man came in with a home-made bomb inside of him. That was the one and only day she was thankful to be at the inferior Mercy-West. "I thought you guys didn't have gifts."

"It's instincts," Jackson and Nathanial spoke in unison.

April's hand tightened on Jackson's as the panic caused her to sweat. "Is it an incoming trauma?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"I do not know," Nathanial replied, then forced a small smile onto his face. "I hope that I am wrong." He cleared his throat and looked to Jackson. "Do you mind if I stay here for a few hours? Just until this feeling passes?"

"No, go ahead," Jackson encouraged. He would actually feel better if Nathanial was at his side in case something bad _did_ happen; especially since Catherine was out of the building. "Wander around though," he suggested. "Hang out in the lobby, but go to the cafeteria and the gift shop. We don't want anyone suspecting that _you_ are up to something."

Nathanial nodded. "I will check in with you soon."

April's heart pounded in her ears as she watched Nathanial move towards the cafeteria. "Jackson," she pleaded, tugging on his arm.

"It's going to be okay," Jackson assured her and drew her into a hug. "I'm sure nothing is wrong...Nathanial is just high strung."

"What if something happens?" April whispered, looking up to him. "You know there was a bomb here a few years ago."

"Just don't stick your hand in any body cavity, and you'll be fine," Jackson forced a lightness to his tone. He cursed as his pager blared. "It's Dr. Hunt in OR two. I've got to go." He shifted to move, but April wasn't letting him go. "It's going to be fine," he assured her and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "If anything goes wrong, just say my name," he advised. "I'll be listening for you, and I'll be there in two seconds. Promise."

April sighed heavily, easing her hold on him. "Thank you," she forced a smile onto her face. "I'll see you at lunch."

"At lunch," Jackson promised and pushed the button for the elevator.

"April!" Reed exclaimed as she burst through the doors. "Sorry!" she called as she banged into Jackson on her way to her friend. Jackson just chuckled and boarded the elevator, still laughing as the doors closed. "Let me see, let me see!" Reed shrieked as she joined her friend's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," April shook her head, forcing herself to shake away the bad feeling. There was no reason for her to be scared or worried! She was going to marry the man that she loved. Well, the vampire that she loved, and in two years she would be just like him! April was going to spend eternity with Jackson Avery.

"Oh my God," Reed exclaimed as she lifted April's hand. "It's huge!"

April smiled. "Size doesn't matter..."

"That's easy to say when it's big!" Reed laughed and turned the ring in the light. "Holy crap it must be nice to be engaged to an Avery!"

"Jackson's more than his last name," April replied defensively and pulled her hand away.

"I can't believe you're so casual about him," Reed rattled on as the two women moved towards the elevator. "How did he propose, how did he propose?!"

April laughed at her friend's eagerness. "Well, first he took me to a romantic dinner at the space needle..."

"The space needle?!" Reed gaped with wide eyes.

"Yes, the space needle," April smiled. "We had a view of the city as we talked, ate, and shared a bottle of wine."

"Oh!" Reed bounced on her heels. "Did he put the ring in your wine glass?"

"No," April laughed with a wave of her hand. "We left the space needle, and he took me to the great wheel."

"The huge ferris wheel?!" Reed gasped.

"That's the one," April nodded as she grew impatient with the elevator. "He had it reserved just for us. He had the attendant stop the wheel when we were at the top, and then...he proposed."

"Oh my God," Reed swooned, clasping her hands at her heart. "That is _so_ romantic! I swear, April, you are the luckiest girl in the world."

April ducked her head as her cheeks reddened. "I _feel_ like the luckiest girl in the world," she mused and looked to the elevator again. "Should we take the stairs?" she asked and glanced around.

"It probably got stuck," Reed rolled her eyes. "Piece of crap."

April turned towards the stairwell, but stopped when a dark-clad figure entered the hospital. Her brows knit together as she studied him. "Is that...Mr. Clark?" she asked, glancing to Reed. "What's he doing here?"

"I don't know," Reed shrugged. "You know, rumor has it that he's filing a lawsuit against the hospital. I bet he's having a meeting with Derek."

"Mr. Clark?" April called, holding her hand up to catch his attention.

Time seemed to slow as Gary Clark reached under his coat, pulled out an object and fired. April stood frozen as Reed dropped beside her. April's body trembled as Reed's blood tainted the white tiled floor. "Reed!" April gasped, kneeling and shaking her friend's lifeless form. "Reed!" she screamed as Reed's expressionless eyes stared up at her.

April stumbled to her feet and gaped as Gary Clark neared. It finally struck her that he was aiming for her. Gary Clark was trying to shoot _her_. April screamed as another shot rang out and ducked into the stairwell. She scrambled up the stairs to the second floor.

The same bad feeling that consumed Nathanial now consumed April as well.


	10. Chapter 10 - Everything Changes

**A/N - Thank you all for the reviews to chapter 9! You guys are just precious :) I hope this chapter does not disappoint. You might want a tissue...**

* * *

Chapter 10 - Everything Changes

"Avery!" Owen Hunt barked as Jackson washed up and entered the OR. "Are we keeping you from something more important this morning? Is this patient's surgery inconveniencing you?"

"No, sir," Jackson shook his head as he stuffed his hands into a pair of gloves and the OR nurse tied up his gown. Seriously? Sometimes it just irritated Jackson that he was stuck in this body. Owen Hunt didn't realize that Jackson knew more than he ever would. Jackson could be a MD ten times over by now. In fact, Jackson could perform this surgery right now, solo, with one hand tied behind his back. "Traffic, sir," he offered a reason as he stood across from the surgeon.

Owen studied him for a second before looking to the patient on the table. "Scalpel."

Jackson knew to keep his mouth shut, and he didn't make a move until Owen ordered him to. It took every ounce of self control he possessed, but he managed to do it. He couldn't be put out of the program for being disrespectful to a surgeon; even Richard couldn't cover for him if that happened. Transferring to Seattle Presbyterian was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Someone get that," Owen frowned fifteen minutes later as his pager beeped for the third time.

"Dr. Hunt," Megan, the scrub nurse, spoke, her tone strangled.

"Yes, Megan?" Owen asked, barely glancing to the woman.

Megan's hands shook as she lay the pager back onto the silver tray. "C-Code y-y-yellow, Dr. Hunt."

Owen's brows knit together as he looked to her. "Are you sure, Megan?"

"Y-Yes, s-sir."

Owen nodded once and looked to Jackson. "Avery, close this patient up," he ordered as he retracted his hands.

"Are you finished, Dr. Hunt?" Jackson asked, confusion to his tone.

"Close him up!" Owen barked as he ripped the gloves from his hands and tossed them into the garbage can. "No one move until I return."

"What's code yellow?" Jackson asked as he began stitching the patient closed. His eyes darted around the room at the pale, frightened faces of the humans. "Megan! What is a code yellow?"

"A shooter, Dr. Avery," the scrub nurse replied quietly.

Jackson's eyes widened. "A shooter?" he clarified as he picked up speed in his stitches. He figured that the humans were so scared that they wouldn't notice his quickened movements. "As in, a person with a gun?"

"Yes, Dr. Avery," Megan answered. "He's classified as a shooter if he has actually fired the gun."

Jackson felt his body jerk as his mind roamed back to the events of this morning. He could only hope that April was safe somewhere. "Dr. Hunt," he said as Owen returned to the OR, "the patient is closed."

"Good work, Avery," Owen nodded and scanned the room. "We are to move all of the patients to recovery. We will remain there, with the doors locked, until the authorities have cleared the hospital."

"Have the authorities even been notified?" Jackson hissed as he ripped off his gloves and snatched off his surgical mask.

"Chief Webber notified them five minutes ago," Owen replied before looking to the nurses. "Let's move, people!"

Jackson waited until Owen's back was turned before he zipped from the OR and entered the lobby. The normally bustling hospital was eerily quiet. Like the calm before the storm. Jackson closed his eyes, listening intently and filtering through the scared cries.

He couldn't locate April's voice. Jackson sharpened his senses and focused, still unable to locate her. He hoped that she was hiding somewhere...rather than the alternative. "Nathanial," he spoke simply.

Within seconds Nathanial appeared at his side. "Have you heard April?"

"No," Jackson shook his head. "I told her to call for me if she needed help."

"Then we will hope that she is safe," Nathanial stated.

"Do you know who it is?" Jackson asked. "Is it really a shooter?"

Nathanial nodded. "Yes, he has already killed one girl before he boarded the elevator."

"Do you know who it is?" Jackson asked desperately. "Is this a random thing, or..."

"Gary," Nathanial answered. "Gary Clark."

Jackson gripped Nathanial's shirt collar. "Are you sure?!" he yelled desperately.

Nathanial brushed Jackson's grip off easily. "Who is he?"

"We have to find April!" Jackson yelled, zipping for the stairwell. "Quickly!" Jackson forced himself to stay focused. He refused to let his mind wander on the variables of the situation. He refused to remember the day he threw Gary away from April. He refused to linger on the fact that Gary Clark blamed two people for Alison's death. Gary blamed Derek and April.

* * *

April burst through the door to the second floor, slamming it and running for the nurse's station. "Code yellow!" she practically screamed at the charge nurse.

"Code yellow?" the charge nurse, Alicia, questioned, peering to the posted code list over the phone. Her eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Code yellow!" April panicked. "Move the patients into the supply room, close the door, and lock it! Don't come out for anything!"

"Yes, doctor," Alicia squeaked before reporting to the unit nurses and aids.

April ran her hand through her hair, feeling the nausea wave through her. Reed, poor Reed, was just killed right in front of her eyes. Murdered! Gary ended another life right in front of her!

But Gary didn't mean to end Reed's life; he had been aiming for April.

April pushed the thought from her mind and focused on the adrenaline that was pulsing through her system. Patients, she had to check on the patients. Yes, get the patients to safety. April ran down the hall, opening room doors and checking bathrooms. "Emergency," she spoke quietly as an elderly woman was leaving the bathroom. "Come with me, please."

"I can't walk long distances, dear," the woman replied.

April scanned the room, spotting a wheelchair in the corner. "Have a seat, Miss," she said, not bothering to glance at the patient's name bracelet. "I'm going to take you to safety."

"Safety?" the woman asked. "What's going on?"

"Just trust me, okay?" April pleaded and assisted the patient into the wheelchair. Thankfully the woman didn't say anything else as April stuck her head out of the room, glancing up and down the hall, before pushing the wheelchair to the supply room. "It's me," she called as she banged on the door. After Alicia opened the door, April pushed the wheelchair inside and counted the patients. "Is this everyone?"

"We think so," Alicia whispered.

"I'll make one last check," April said and glanced up the vacant hall. "When I come back, I'll knock twice. Don't open this door unless I knock twice, okay?"

"Yes, doctor."

April felt herself slowly calming down as she moved through the hall, checking each room and bathroom. Rather than focus on the fear, she was focusing on a plan. Dr. Hunt taught her to always have a plan of action in any disaster. A cry caught in April's throat as the elevator dinged and the doors slowly opened. She caught a brief glimpse of Gary's familiar black coat before she ducked into the nearest room. "Oh God, oh God," April panicked as she scanned the room frantically. She couldn't hide under the bed-he would see her! April ran for the bathroom, ducking inside as Gary's footsteps thundered down the hall.

April flipped the bathroom light off and pulled the door halfway open, hiding behind it. She knew that if Gary saw a closed door, he would suspect that she was hiding. If he saw that the door was at least open, maybe, just maybe he wouldn't think anything. April clamped her hands over her mouth as she heard the footsteps enter the hospital room.

April's breathing became labored as she heard him move around the room. She almost cried out when he flipped on the bathroom light and scanned the area.

"Sir!" a male voice called, causing Gary to turn. "Sir, we're taking all patients to the supply closet." Charles Percy, the voice belonged to Charles Percy. "Come with me, ple-holy shit, you're the shooter." His voice fell as he realized that he had stumbled upon the gunman.

Gary's eyes narrowed at the man. "Who are you?"

Charles lifted his hands. "Charles. I'm a resident here."

"Where is Dr. Shepherd?" Gary asked, taking a step towards the dark-haired resident. "And Dr. Kepner?"

"I-I don't know, s-sir," Charles stuttered. "I have not seen Dr. Kepner today."

Gary looked at him for a moment, firing at his shoulder. April forced down a scream in the bathroom. "Where. Are. They?" the gunman asked as he stood over the resident.

"The OR," Charles cried, grasping his shoulder. "Surgery, they'll be in surgery!"

"How do I get there?" Gary demanded, pointing the gun in the man's chest.

"Take, take the elevator!" Charles pleaded, sweat pouring from his brow. "First floor. Get off the elevator and take the hall to your left."

Gary lingered there, deciding whether or not to believe the man. "If you're lying to me, boy," he growled, "I'm coming back for you."

April barely managed to keep quiet as she listened to the fading footsteps. Finally she heard the elevator ding and the doors close before she burst from the bathroom. "Charles!" she hissed, dropping to his side.

"A-April?!" Charles grunted, looking at her. "He's after you?"

"Long story," April shook her head as tears filled her eyes. She brushed them away stubbornly and pulled Charles' hand from his shoulder. "The bullet is still in tact."

"No kidding!" Charles winced in pain. "Get me to the pit."

"No!" April cut him off. "We need to stay here." She pushed herself to her feet and paced the floor. "I'll take care of it. Don't move!" April focused on her new plan as she checked up and down the hall before running to the supply room. "Alicia!" she hissed, knocking on the door twice.

"Was he here, Doctor?" the nurse panicked after opening the door.

"Yes, but he's gone," April replied quietly and began rifling through the supplies, gathering gauze, forceps, a suture kit, oxygyn tubing, and an oxygen tank.

"Do you need my help?" the charge nurse offered, noting the supplies in the resident's hands.

April hesitated, actually considering having the nurse help her. "No," she shook her head. "I don't know if he's coming back or not. Stay here."

"Doctor!" the nurse called.

"Two knocks!" April cut her off. "Only answer the door for two knocks!" April released a shaky breath as she scanned the hall once more before moving back to the hospital room. All she had to do was remove the bullet from Charles' shoulder. Once Gary was contained, one of the attendings could check him out and give him some IV antibiotics to ward off infection. She could do this; a few stitches and she and Charles could take cover in the supply room.

"April," Charles groaned as April kneeled beside him.

"Ssshhhh," April whispered as she put the tubing in his nose and attached it to the tank. "I'm here, Charles," she said and turned on the tank. "Just relax, don't waste your strength." April took a deep breath, trying to force her hands to stop shaking. If she didn't get a grip, another person would die because of her. April blinked back tears as Reed's blank stare flashed in her mind. One second the girl was excited about an engagement, and the next second she was dead.

April jarred as Jackson's words rang in her head. _If anything goes wrong, just say my name _April actually formed his name on her tongue, but forced herself to stop. No! She couldn't put Jackson at risk. If Jackson was hurt because of her, she'd never be able to live with herself! April vowed to remain quiet and calm.

Charles screamed as April reached the forceps into his skin, grasping the bullet. April scrambled, ripping open a package of rolled gauze and stuffed it in his mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she pleaded, "but you have to stay quiet!" Charles grunted, nodding that he understood her. April took a deep breath and eventually worked the bullet from his flesh. She tossed the forceps aside and cleaned the area with wound cleanser before shakily stitching his flesh together. April knotted the thread and clipped it short, covering the area with antibiotic ointment and gauze.

A shot fired behind her, causing April to scream.

Charles stopped breathing.

"No!" April screamed, shaking Charles. "No, no, no!" she continued to cry, realizing that he was dead. April's entire body began to shake as she heard the man shift behind her. She turned slowly, her tear-filled eyes meeting the cold, dead eyes of Gary Clark.

"I've been looking for you," Gary stated simply.

"M-Mr. C-Clark, pl-please," April whispered, holding her hands out defensively. She gasped when he raised his arm, pointing the gun at her. "Please!" she begged.

"You killed her," Gary said, his voice void of emotion. "You killed Alison."

"N-N-No, I d-didn't," April pleaded. "You wife had cancer, Mr. Cl-Clark."

"You turned the machine off!" Gary roared, jerking his arm. "I told you not to, but you did it anyway!"

April held her hands out as she slowly moved to her feet. "I was following Alison's wishes," she whispered.

"Alison signed that form three years ago!" Gary yelled, his eyes tearing up. "I tried to explain that to Dr. Shepherd, but he wouldn't listen to me. He wanted to kill Alison! You both did!" He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. "Now...now I'm going to kill you."

"Please!" April screamed, seeing his finger tighten on the trigger.

Jackson stilled on the fourth floor as he picked up the frequency of April's voice. He and Nathanial shared a look at the desperate, pleading tone. "Second floor," Jackson stated before the two vampires raced towards the stairwell.

A gunshot echoed through his vampire senses as they neared the room.

Jackson reached the hospital room first, snapping Gary's neck on pure instinct. He turned towards April as the gunman's lifeless body dropped to the floor. "April," he whispered, moving to her side and cradling her head in his lap.

"J-Jackson," April coughed, her skin unnaturally pale. "Y-You're he-here." She coughed again, coughing up blood this time.

Jackson's eyes searched her frantically, noting the expanding blood stain on her scrubs on the right side of her body. Over her liver. "Of course I'm here," he whispered, emotion raking through him.

Nathanial appeared in the doorway and took in the scene. He closed his eyes and hung his head after looking to the dying April. He brought his hand to his mouth as he carefully walked over to Jackson.

Jackson's body shook with emotion as he saw the light slowly fading in April's eyes. No! It wasn't supposed to be like this! It wasn't supposed to happen this way! He loved this woman; she was his mate! He was supposed to spend the rest of her life with her! She wasn't supposed to die here; not now! They were going to be married! "I love you," he whispered, his voice tight as his hand moved to her wound, applying pressure. He felt the blood flow slow beneath his touch.

"I...love you...too," April whispered, smiling softly.

Jackson smoothed the hair away from her face. "What do I do?" he pleaded, turning to Nathanial.

Nathanial kneeled beside him and put his hand on the vampire's shoulder. "Hold her," he whispered. "Just hold her...it won't be long."

Jackson felt a deep pain settle in his chest as he looked to her. He was losing her. He was losing the love of his life! Jackson jerked when her heartbeat began to slow. "What do I do?" he looked to Nathanial.

"She's passing," Nathanial spoke softly. "Hold her."

"_What do I do_?"

Nathanial looked to Jackson, realizing that he was no longer asking how to comfort her. "Here," he put his finger to April's pale neck. "Pierce the skin along the vein. When you bite, you're going to feel an urge to feed. Fight it," he ordered. "If you take so much as a teaspoon of her blood, you're going to kill her."

Jackson panicked. He couldn't kill her! "You do it!"

"I will not," Nathanial shook his head. "I will not take this from you. Change your mate."

"I'm sorry April, I'm sorry," Jackson pleaded before putting his lips to her neck, his fangs puncturing her porcelean skin.

"Control it," Nathanial ordered, gripping Jackson's shoulders as his body jerked with the desire to feed. He felt the younger vampire's body relax as April gasped, her body jerking upwards. Nathanial scanned April's weakened state. "Wrists too," he advised. "She needs the extra venom."

Jackson moved to her right wrist, puncturing her skin, feeling the venom leave his mouth and flow into her veins. "I'm sorry," he whispered before moving to her other wrist.

Seconds later, April's heart stopped beating.

"April!" Jackson screamed, shaking her body. "April!" He felt the pain rake through his form. "Was it enough?!" he demanded, looking to Nathanial.

Nathanial pursed his lips as he looked to the woman's body. Honestly...he was not sure. April's body was very, very weakened when Jackson reached her. "We will have to wait and see."

"Wait and see?!" Jackson exploded, his eyes glazing as he looked from his mentor to his mate. "How long?!"

"Seventy-two hours," Nathanial stated as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Please, April," Jackson pleaded, gathering her body in his arms. "Come back to me, please, please, come back to me."

"We'll take her home," Nathanial spoke quietly. "We will see where we are in seventy-two hours."

Jackson cradled April to him as they left the hospital behind, racing towards the Avery home. The next seventy-two hours were going to be the longest hours of his existence.

**THE END**


End file.
